Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro indicted for plotting coup

(CLO) Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was indicted on Tuesday on charges of plotting a coup to overturn the results of the 2022 election.

Attorney General Paulo Gonet has charged Bolsonaro and his vice presidential candidate, General Walter Braga Netto, with leading a "criminal organization" aimed at overthrowing Brazil's 40-year-old democracy.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Photo: X

A total of 34 people were indicted, including several high-ranking military officials, including Mr. Bolsonaro's former National Security Adviser, General Augusto Heleno, and former Navy Commander Almir Garnier Santos. According to legal documents from Brazil's Attorney General's Office, the group is accused of having a detailed plan to undermine the country's democracy.

“Responsibility for the acts that harm the democratic order lies with a criminal organization led by Jair Messias Bolsonaro, based on a dictatorial power project,” the indictment states.

Currently, the possibility of Mr. Bolsonaro being arrested before trial is considered low, unless Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, considers him a flight risk.

The charges come just months after federal police concluded a two-year investigation into Mr Bolsonaro’s role in the election denial movement that led to riots by his supporters in the capital Brasília in January 2023, a week after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office.

Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he is the victim of a "witch hunt" by political opponents.

This is the first time Bolsonaro has been formally charged with a crime, although he has faced numerous legal troubles during his time in office. Two previous rulings by Brazil's Federal Electoral Tribunal have declared him ineligible to run for president in 2026.

Mr Bolsonaro’s legal team has two weeks to respond to the charges before the Supreme Court decides whether to accept them. If convicted on all counts, he could face between 12 and more than 40 years in prison.

Cao Phong (according to Reuters, AJ, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/former-president-of-brazil-jair-bolsonaro-is-traced-to-vi-am-muu-dao-chinh-post335132.html