Brazil's Bolsonaro jailed 27 years over attempted coup

Jair Bolsonaro, formerly Brazil's right-wing president, was sentenced to 27 years' imprisonment Thursday for his part in an attempted coup after his defeat at the polls in 2022.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices handed down the sentence just hours after they had convicted the former leader. They ruled he was guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Four of the justices found him guilty while one voted to acquit him. Bolsonaro's lawyers have called the sentence "absurdly excessive" and said that they would file "the appropriate appeals".

Bolsonaro supporters rioted there after his defeat, much as Trump's did in the U.S. But whereas the Biden Administration failed to prosecute Trump until it was too late to stop him reasserting control of the Republican party, Brazilian authorities took no chances.

The Bolsonaro case was also notable for the constant stream of threats made by the Trump administration to try and get Bolsonaro released—threats that continue even after his conviction. How old would you have to be to find it interesting to see Brazil assert leadership over the U.S. in matters of justice?

Bolsonaro will be 97 if he completes his full sentence; he was often seen in poor health.