The Supreme Federal Court (STF) of Brazil convicted former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro today for attempting to interfere in the trial of the 2022 coup plot, specifically to protect his father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur of the case in the STF’s First Chamber, voted for Eduardo’s conviction and was joined by the other three magistrates of the collective panel.
The Brazilian Supreme Court has not yet established the criminal penalty for the pro-Bolsonaro politician.
Moraes followed the understanding of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) of Brazil, which concluded that the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro acted to coerce judges of the Brazilian Supreme Court and interfere with the course of justice.
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According to the indictment, Eduardo made public statements and posts on social networks stating he collaborated to have the Donald Trump administration in the United States impose sanctions on Brazilian authorities.
Among these authorities are STF justices, such as Alexandre de Moraes himself, as well as economic measures directed against Brazil.
Upon delivering his vote, Alexandre de Moraes declared that the pro-Bolsonaro politician, who lost his mandate by decision of the Chamber of Deputies last year due to absences, lobbied in the United States.
“It is not the role of a Brazilian federal deputy to lobby abroad against his own country. Even if he were in the exercise of his mandate and not on leave, even if he were in the exercise, he would not be covered by parliamentary immunity,” he declared.
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Since Eduardo Bolsonaro did not appoint a lawyer for this lawsuit, his defense is conducted by the Federal Public Defender’s Office (DPU), which argues, among other points, that Moraes could not act in the trial because he was one of the authorities affected by the sanctions imposed by the US.
While presenting videos posted by Eduardo on social media, Moraes refuted the DPU’s claims that Eduardo had no knowledge of the legal process.
“The defendant makes a point of evading justice. The defendant himself says he would not return to Brazil for fear of having a precautionary measure by this STF seizing his passport and preventing him from evading again,” Moraes argued.
“Criminal procedure is not a joke, the application of justice is not a joke. The rules exist to guarantee the contradictory process, the full defense, within the parity of arms, not so that frauds and crimes committed continue to be perpetuated,” he indicated.
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In March 2025, Eduardo announced that he would take a temporary leave from his federal deputy mandate to live in the United States and, at the time, said his departure from Brazil was to “dedicate himself fully and seek appropriate sanctions against human rights violators.”
Alexandre de Moraes further declared that Eduardo’s actions in the US had “no relationship with parliamentary activity, but were threats intending by this that his father would not be convicted.” Before Moraes presented his vote, the representative of the PGR requested the conviction of the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro for the crimes of coercion.
Deputy Attorney General of the Republic Antônio Edílio Magalhães presented several public posts and messages exchanged between Eduardo and his father to sustain the conviction request.
“The criminal strategy culminated in concrete damages to various productive sectors burdened by North American surtaxes, reaching, in the final instance, workers linked to these economic chains, who are completely unrelated to the attacked criminal proceedings,” the prosecution argued.
