Moraes Votes to Reject Bolsonaro Appeals in STF Coup Case

Overview

• Relator Alexandre de Moraes cast the opening vote to deny clarification appeals from Jair Bolsonaro and six co-defendants, keeping all September sentences intact.
• Moraes reaffirmed that the ruling identified an armed criminal organization linked to the Jan. 8, 2023 attacks and said Bolsonaro acted as its leader.
• The virtual session includes four justices — Moraes, Flávio Dino, Cármen Lúcia and Cristiano Zanin — after Luiz Fux moved to the Second Panel and is not participating.
• Defense claims were rejected, including alleged bias of the relator, a document-dump that supposedly impaired defense, challenges to Mauro Cid’s plea deal, disputes over sentencing calculations, and the theory of voluntary withdrawal.
• If these appeals are ultimately rejected and remaining remedies are exhausted, the case can reach finality and allow execution of the penalties; Mauro Cid is already serving a two‑year term, and Moraes also removed an unrelated request for a Papuda medical evaluation of Bolsonaro from the record.