Just six months before Brazilians head to the polls, the country’s Congress has dealt a devastating blow to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by passing a law that will free his jailed predecessor and arch-rival Jair Bolsonaro years ahead of schedule – a decision that opponents are calling a judicial coup by the back door.
Lawmakers voted on Thursday to significantly reduce prison sentences nationwide, cutting the nationally oriented former president’s 27-year term to just over two years – an exceptional reduction. A visibly frustrated Lula now faces the prospect of campaigning for re-election while his political nemesis walks free.
The vote marks Lula’s second defeat in 24 hours. On Wednesday evening, the Senate rejected his nominee to the Supreme Court – a rare humiliation unseen for decades.
Bolsonaro, currently serving his sentence under house arrest on health grounds, had not been eligible for any sentence reduction until 2033. The new law also shortens terms for those convicted over the January 2023 riots, when Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings. The former president has never recognised Lula’s victory and has repeatedly alleged electoral fraud without evidence.
Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years last September for his role in a planned coup attempt. The 71-year-old began serving his sentence in November – a term that, under the new legislation, will now expire next year.
