Brazil’s Congress reduces Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence, in blow to Lula

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Congress voted Thursday to reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence, a decision that will be appealed to the Supreme Court and one that could potentially upend the country's October presidential election.

It’s unclear how much time Bolsonaro would serve for his conviction for leading a coup attempt, but analysts say the move could shave 20 years off his sentence. The former president, who began his term in November, is currently under house arrest.

In a blow to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the opposition successfully drew centrist senators and federal deputies to comfortably override his veto on a sentencing bill passed last year. Bolsonaro supporters expressed confidence in the outcome even before the voting began.

“This is a first and much awaited step by those who are afflicted. The next stage is full amnesty,” said Sen. Espiridião Amin, a Bolsonaro ally.

The bill passed by Congress last year reduces prison terms for several crimes, including those against the democratic rule of law and leading a coup when a person is convicted in both. The new legislation states that only the count carrying the highest sentence should be counted.

Sen. Davi Alcolumbre, president of Brazil's Senate, argued earlier that the scope of the decision excludes heinous crimes, a claim legal experts say will be questioned in court.

Pedro Uczai, the Workers' Party whip in Brazil's lower house, said he will appeal to the Supreme Court to nullify the decision. The court is yet to receive his complaint.

Bolsonaro allies in Congress said the move benefits not only the former president, but also supporters who were sentenced for destroying government buildings in capital Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023, in a riot that mirrored the assault on the U.S. Capitol Hill two years earlier.

Alexandre Knopfholz, a lawyer and legal scholar, told The Associated Press the bill is also clear about reducing penalties for crimes committed by crowds, expanding the legal benefits for many of those charged with the destruction of government buildings in Brasilia.

Knopfholz added that Bolsonaro “will not be automatically released” even if the new legislation withstands the Supreme Court's likely scrutiny.

The vote hands Lula another significant defeat in Congress months before his bid for a fourth nonconsecutive term. Wednesday evening he had his nominee to a seat in the Supreme Court rejected by the country's Senate, a first in 132 years.

“They want to release Bolsonaro, his jailed generals and stop federal police investigations that implicate them,” said lawmaker Lindberg Farias, a Lula ally. “This is a day of infamy.”

Several lawmakers voting on Thursday spoke on the podium about October's election. Four years ago, Lula beat Jair Bolsonaro by a narrow margin to return to the presidency. The president's rival in his bid for reelection will be Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, one of the sons of the former president.

“If it is God's will, I will govern this country,” said Flávio Bolsonaro during the vote. “I will hug you and take care of you, no matter what your political view is.”

Lula is yet to make public comments about his defeats in Congress.

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