RIO DE JANEIRO — The Brazilian Supreme Court on Friday added an extra day to sessions planned next week to decide whether former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven other close allies are guilty of attempting a coup.
Justices had initially planned hearings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, but Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, asked for an additional day, which cour Chairman Cristiano Zanin granted. There will now also be proceedings on Thursday, the Supreme Court said in a statement.
Bolsonaro is accused of leading a plot for a military takeover that would have allowed him to remain in power despite his election defeat to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October 2022.
Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a “ witch hunt ” that seeks to remove him from the political game.
Seven other close allies of Bolsonaro are being tried alongside the former president, including Walter Braga Netto, his former running mate and defense minister, and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, another former defense minister.
Last week, De Moraes read the lengthy summary of the case, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet laid out his accusations, and then lawyers for the eight defendants took the floor.
During the trial, the prosecution presented handwritten notes, digital files, message exchanges, and spreadsheets that they said were evidence of a conspiracy to keep Bolsonaro in power. Defense lawyers say that even if a coup was planned or discussed — something which they don’t concede — no coup was attempted, and they say therefore the case is invalid.
The trial’s verdict and sentencing phase was set to resume at 9 a.m. local time Tuesday, with justices reviewing any final requests from the parties. Then, each of the five panel members will vote on the defendants’ guilt, which often involves a lengthy speech. A majority of three votes is needed to convict.
The former leader was charged with five counts: attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and two counts involving destruction of state property.
A guilty verdict on the coup plot charge alone carries a sentence of up to 12 years.
Brazil’s top electoral court has already banned Bolsonaro from running in elections until 2030 over abuse of power while in office and casting unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system.
