Brazil’s Supreme Court sentences Bolsonaro’s son over US lobbying

BRASILIA: Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced Eduardo Bolsonaro to four years and two months in prison after he urged US sanctions on his country during his father’s coup trial.

Former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro’s third son had attempted to curry American favour for his father, who is serving 27 years in prison for coup-plotting in 2022.

Four Supreme Court judges ruled in favor of the prosecutors, who charged Bolsonaro with “threatening judicial authorities and officials from other branches of government” by saying he would secure US sanctions “if the proceedings did not end” favourably for his father.

He will also be barred from holding public office for eight years after completing his sentence, which he may appeal.

“It is not the role of a Brazilian federal deputy to lobby abroad against their own country,” said Judge Alexandre de Moraes.

At first, Bolsonaro’s ploy worked. Last year, US President Donald Trump hit Brazil with steep tariffs as punishment for what he called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro senior.

However, the duties were lifted after a first official meeting between leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Trump.

The Trump administration had also sanctioned Supreme Court Judge Moraes, but those measures were also lifted.

Washington-Brasilia relations are going through a rough patch after Trump met with Eduardo’s brother and presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of the October elections.

Polls predict a tight race between Flavio Bolsonaro and Lula.

In December, Eduardo Bolsonaro was stripped of his seat in the lower house of parliament for his excessive absences.