BRASILIA — Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted former federal lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro of coercion in a case linked to efforts to influence legal proceedings involving his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, the court said on Tuesday, imposing a prison sentence and additional political sanctions.
The court’s First Panel unanimously found Eduardo Bolsonaro guilty of coercion during judicial proceedings, according to the ruling and statements from Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office. The judges sentenced him to four years and two months in prison and barred him from holding public office for eight years, court documents showed. The ruling can be appealed.
According to prosecutors, Eduardo Bolsonaro sought support from U.S. authorities and promoted measures including trade penalties and sanctions targeting Brazilian officials in an effort to influence proceedings involving his father, who was convicted in a separate case related to an alleged coup plot. Prosecutors argued those actions amounted to unlawful pressure on Brazil’s judiciary.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur in the case, said a federal lawmaker’s role “is not to lobby overseas against his own country,” according to the court’s decision. The court concluded that Eduardo Bolsonaro’s actions constituted interference with the administration of justice.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been living in the United States since 2025, denied wrongdoing. According to statements reported by Brazilian and international media, he argued that he had been unfairly targeted and that his actions were intended to defend constitutional principles rather than influence the outcome of his father’s case.
The case has drawn attention in Brazil because it is connected to broader investigations and prosecutions involving allies of the former president. Eduardo Bolsonaro lost his congressional seat after prolonged absences from parliamentary sessions while abroad, according to court records and legislative proceedings cited by Brazilian media.
The Attorney General’s Office said evidence presented during the proceedings showed efforts to encourage foreign measures against Brazilian institutions. The court agreed with that assessment and also ordered the loss of Eduardo Bolsonaro’s position as a federal police clerk, according to the ruling.
As of Thursday, Eduardo Bolsonaro remained outside Brazil. Court officials said the conviction had been formally entered and that appeals remained available under Brazilian law. Details regarding any further legal steps or enforcement measures remain unclear.
