Brazilian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday (February 18th) that former President Jair Bolsonaro is formally indicted for allegedly planning to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, marking the latest legal challenge for the right-wing leader.
Brazil’s Attorney General, Paulo Gonet, has filed the indictment with the Supreme Court, charging Bolsonaro along with 33 others, including his former cabinet ministers and ex-navy commander.
According to the indictment, the prosecution alleges: “Jair Messias Bolsonaro led a criminal organization that inflicted serious harm on Brazil’s democratic order as part of an authoritarian rule plan.” The “conspiracy” also included plans to harm his successor and current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Last November, the Brazilian Federal Police submitted an 884-page report to Gonet, accusing Bolsonaro and his allies of systematically undermining the electoral system, including drafting a coup decree to provide legal cover, pressuring military leaders to support the coup plan, and instigating riots in the capital.
The indictment comes just a few months after the Brazilian Federal Police completed a two-year investigation into Bolsonaro. The investigation focused on Bolsonaro’s role in the protest election activities, which ultimately led to riots by his supporters in Brasilia in January 2023.
The riots occurred just a week after President Lula formally took office. In the late 2022 presidential election, leftist candidate Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro.
The supreme court of Brazil will review these charges, and if the indictment is accepted, Bolsonaro will face trial.
Currently, unless the judge responsible for this case, Alexandre de Moraes, believes Bolsonaro is a flight risk, it is unlikely that he will be arrested before the trial.
As a former army captain, Bolsonaro has consistently maintained that he has not broken any laws, condemning the allegations as “political persecution” by his opponents. During a visit to the Brazilian Senate in Brasilia on Tuesday, he told reporters, “I am not worried at all about these accusations, not at all.”
“Have you seen that coup decree? No? Neither have I,” he added.
Since his electoral defeat in 2022, Bolsonaro has faced legal challenges multiple times, but this is the first time he is facing criminal charges. Furthermore, two court rulings have already barred him from participating in the 2026 presidential election, further diminishing his chances of returning to the political arena.
The progress of this case will have a significant impact on Brazil’s political landscape, and its future development is being closely watched.
(This article references relevant reports from Reuters and the Associated Press)