Brazilian prosecutors said the country's supreme court (STF) should find former president Jair Bolsonaro and seven other defendants guilty of an attempted coup.
In a 517-page briefing that is part of attorney general Paulo Gonet's closing arguments at trial, prosecutors argue that Bolsonaro and the other defendants should be convicted of the crimes of armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d'état, damage qualified by violence and serious threat, and damage to government assets.
Bolsonaro was the "main orchestrator and biggest beneficiary" of a plot to make sure that he stayed in power despite losing the election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gonet said during the trial.
The plot included the 8 January 2023 storming of government buildings in the capital Brasilia and plans to kill his political opponents. Also as part of the plot, Bolsonaro used the power of the state and operated in a "persistent scheme" to attack public institutions and the succession process after the presidential election results, Gonet said.
The seven other defendants include Bolsonaro's running mate Walter Braga Netto; former minister Augusto Heleno, who is also an army general; Bolsonaro's former justice minister Anderson Torres; former defense minister Paulo Sergio Nogueira; and Bolsonaro's top aide Mauro Cid. If convicted, Cid is expected to have his sentence suspended due to a plea bargain agreement signed with the federal police during investigations.
Cid will now have 15 days to present his final defense. The other defendants will then have an additional 15 days to do the same. A date for the justices to begin deliberations will be set after STF receives all statements. That is expected for September this year, according to the government.
If convicted, the defendants, including Bolsonaro, can face up to 43 years in prison.
Bolsonaro, Trump push back
Bolsonaro — who is barred from running for any public office until 2030 — used social media to call the trial a "shameful farce".
Bolsonaro's trial gained a new spotlight after US president Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50pc tariff on imports from Brazil from 1 August, citing an alleged "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro.
Lula said Brazil will reciprocate the US tariffs. "Any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil's economic reciprocity law," he said on social media last week. He also added that the country "will not accept any form of tutelage."
Lula signed the reciprocity law on Monday, according to the government. It authorizes Brazil to suspend trade, investment and obligation concessions to countries that impose unilateral barriers to Brazilian products in the global market. It also creates a committee — which will be comprised of the ministers of trade, finance, foreign relations and the chief of staff — that will be in charge of deciding trade responses to other countries' unilateral measures.
