Brazil judge blocks law that would have cut Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has blocked a law passed by Congress that would have sharply reduced former president Jair Bolsonaro's 27-year prison sentence. The ruling escalates tensions between the Lula government and the right-wing opposition, with Bolsonaro's allies vowing to fight on through every available legal route.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has suspended a law passed by Congress last month that would have cut more than half of former president Jair Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence for his role in the January 8 uprising. The ruling rests on the argument that constitutional safeguards must be preserved.
Bolsonaro's lawyers said they would appeal, calling the decision politically motivated and arguing the law had not been applied retroactively. The right-wing coalition described the move as 'judicial interference in democratic balance', while the Lula government insisted the courts were acting independently.
Congressional leaders are already preparing a new legislative push to revive the original measure in some form. The decision is expected to deepen polarisation in Brazilian politics ahead of the October 2026 presidential election, with Bolsonaro's ineligibility leaving a still-unresolved vacuum on the right.
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