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BBC News1 min read
Brazil’s congress approves bill reducing prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro
TL;DR
Brazil's congress has approved a bill reducing former president Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence from 27 years to 22 years. The lower house overturned a presidential veto, allowing Bolsonaro to potentially move to an open regime by 2028.
Key points
- Brazil's congress approved a bill reducing Bolsonaro's prison sentence
- The sentence will decrease from 27 years to 22 years
- The lower house overturned a presidential veto with 318 votes
- Bolsonaro could move to an open regime by 2028
- The approval is a setback for President Lula ahead of re-election
Mentioned in this story
Jair BolsonaroLuiz Inácio Lula da SilvaFlávio Bolsonaro
Brazil’s largely conservative congress has approved a bill reducing the prison sentence of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of attempting a coup.
The bill had initially been passed by congress in December, but president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed it in January in a symbolic move marking three years since Bolsonaro supporters ransacked the capital, Brasília.
In a session on Thursday, the lower house overturned the veto with 318 votes, well above the 257 required, and the senate followed by 49 votes, with 41 needed.
If confirmed by a supreme court justice, Bolsonaro’s sentence would fall from 27 years and three months to 22 years and one month. Another significant change would be the time served in a closed regime, which could drop from what legal experts estimate at between four and six years to between two and four years, meaning the former president could move to an open regime as early as 2028.
It marked a second major blow in less than 24 hours for the leftwing president, who will seek re-election in October in what is expected to be a tight race against one of Bolsonaro’s sons, the senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who took part in the vote.
On Wednesday night, Lula suffered a historic defeat when he became the first president in more than 130 years to have a nominee to the supreme court rejected by the senate, the lawyer Jorge Messias.
Although both the overturning of the veto and the rejection of the court nominee had in some form been anticipated, they are being widely interpreted in Brazil as further evidence that Lula, who in polls appears virtually tied with Bolsonaro’s son, will face a difficult election.
Q&A
What is Jair Bolsonaro's new prison sentence after the bill approval?
Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence has been reduced from 27 years and three months to 22 years and one month.
How did Brazil's congress vote on the bill to reduce Bolsonaro's sentence?
The lower house voted 318 to 0 to overturn the presidential veto, and the senate followed with a vote of 49 in favor.
What changes will occur in Bolsonaro's prison regime following the bill's approval?
The time served in a closed regime could drop from an estimated four to six years to between two and four years.
What are the political implications of the bill reducing Bolsonaro's sentence?
The bill's approval represents a setback for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of his re-election campaign against Bolsonaro's son.
