Bolsonaro Appeals Supreme Court's Prison Sentence

Lawyers representing Jair Bolsonaro, the former President of Brazil, submitted a motion on Monday to challenge last month's Supreme Court decision. The ruling sentenced Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for attempting to overthrow the 2022 presidential election results and plotting a coup to retain power.

The 85-page legal document questions several aspects of the conviction, notably the duration of Bolsonaro's prison time. Four out of five judges on a Supreme Court panel had found him guilty of five charges, including his involvement in an armed criminal group and efforts to dismantle democracy violently.

While Brazil's Supreme Court usually requires at least two dissenting justices for appeals that could alter verdicts, Bolsonaro's attorneys proceeded with a motion seeking clarification of particular details within the conviction, given only one judge dissented. Despite denying any misconduct, Bolsonaro remains under house arrest since August, accused of seeking U.S. President Donald Trump's interference.