Overview

• Prosecutors accuse Jair Bolsonaro of leading a scheme to overturn the 2022 election and charge him with five crimes that could carry more than 40 years in prison.
• Presiding Justice Alexandre de Moraes opened by saying Bolsonaro sought a “real dictatorship” and pledged the court would act independent of internal or external pressure.
• Bolsonaro remains under house arrest in Brasilia with an ankle monitor, restricted communications, and stepped-up vehicle inspections and surveillance around his residence.
• Tensions with the United States have intensified after President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on many Brazilian imports and sanctioned de Moraes over the case.
• Seven allies, including former ministers and generals Walter Braga Netto and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, are on trial alongside Bolsonaro, with verdicts expected next week and potential appeals to follow.