The Brazilian government has filed a motion at the country’s High Court against former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, for allegedly attempting a coup to overthrow the ruling administration, two years after his presidential election defeat.
The 69-year-old was handed five charges over the alleged bid to prevent his successor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from taking office after a bitter election race in 2022.
The charges, which came years after he left office, include allegations that he planned to poison Lula and shoot dead Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as part of his effort to overcome the ruling administration.
In a document submitted by the prosecutor on Wednesday, one of the charges is for the crime of “armed criminal organization”, allegedly led by Bolsonaro and his vice-presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto.
“Allied with other individuals, including civilians and military personnel, they attempted to prevent, in a coordinated manner, the result of the 2022 presidential elections from being fulfilled,” Paulo said.
If approved by the Supreme Court, Bolsonaro and 33 others involved in the alleged coup will be formally charged and arraigned in the law court.
Three months ago, the federal police released a report accusing him of playing a lead role in planning and organizing an attempted coup – including by proposing the idea to key figures in the military – to stop Lula from taking power.
However, Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of political persecution.
The former president was banned from running for office for eight years after being accused of undermining Brazilian democracy by falsely claiming that electronic ballots used in the October 2022 poll were vulnerable to hacking and fraud.
Despite being banned from running for office, Bolsonaro remains a strong political force in Brazil and could use the trial as a platform for his agenda.
