Brasilian Senate Approves Bill To Reduce Bolsonaro's Sentence

Brazilian Senate Approves Bill to Reduce Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence Brazil Brazil’s Senate approved a bill this week that could significantly reduce prison sentences for those convicted in the Jan. 8, 2023, insurrection, a move that would directly benefit former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been sentenced to decades in prison for attempting a coup, the Associated Press reported. The Senate passed the legislation with 48 votes in favor and 25 against after fast-tracking the bill through the Constitution and Justice Committee. The lower house had already approved the bill, which will now go to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his signature. The new bill will allow sentence reductions of up to two-thirds for crimes committed “in a crowd,” benefiting defendants convicted of storming public buildings during the 2023 riots, provided they did not finance or lead the actions. It would also impact Bolsonaro’s prison term – he was sentenced last month to more than 27 years for attempting a coup following his election loss to Lula in October 2022. While there is no consensus on how much time the conservative leader will face if the bill takes effect, his allies in Congress suggested that the period could be cut to two years. Bolsonaro’s lawyers have already appealed to the Supreme Court, claiming the sentence was excessive and that the penalties should not be added because they stemmed from a single episode. Following the Senate’s vote, officials in Lula’s administration said the president will veto the measure, stressing that “those convicted of attacking democracy must pay for their crimes” and calling the bill a “sign of disrespect for the Supreme Court’s decision and a serious setback to legislation that protects democracy.” Observers noted that if the president vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override him with a simple majority in a joint session, according to MercoPress. The bill is also expected to face a Supreme Court challenge. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brazil to protest against the bill. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s eldest son, praised the proposal as the only path toward “national pacification,” adding there should be no debate about amnesty but about “annulling the farce that the entire process was.” He is expected to challenge Lula in the 2026 presidential election as the Liberal Party’s candidate.