Bolsonaro says the Supreme Court acts as an "institutional self-service" and attacks the trial that could make him a defendant for attempted coup.
The former president criticized changes to privileged jurisdiction and said that trials have "a name, a surname, and an expiration date."
247 - Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and his son, the licensed federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), once again launched attacks on the Supreme Federal Court (STF) after the end of the first day of the trial of the complaint filed by the Attorney General's Office (PGR), which accuses the former president and several allies of planning a coup d'état after the 2022 elections.
In a post published on X, formerly Twitter, Bolsonaro accused the Court of manipulating internal rules to favor political interests. "It transforms the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure into an institutional self-service. They choose what serves the political objective of the moment and discard what could guarantee a minimally fair trial," he wrote.
Along the same lines, Bolsonaro criticized what he called "the most scandalous sequence of casuistry in the history of the Brazilian Judiciary," referring to "procedural adaptations and jurisprudential changes made to measure, with a name, surname, and expiration date." And he concluded: "The floor is now open to jurists, legislators, and all those who are witnessing these absurdities."
The former president's statements came shortly after the Supreme Court's First Panel unanimously rejected a request from the defendants' lawyers questioning the Court's jurisdiction to hear the case, arguing that the accused no longer have privileged jurisdiction and, therefore, the proceedings should take place in the first instance court.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur for the case, countered, saying that the situation “is nothing new. In 1.494 cases, the Supreme Federal Court reaffirmed its jurisdiction over all crimes related to January 8, 2023. The treatment is equal for all defendants, for all those indicted. There is no justification for any differentiated treatment.”
Another sensitive point raised by Bolsonaro and his allies is a decision by the Supreme Federal Court itself, concluded on March 11, which broadened the scope of privileged jurisdiction. With the new interpretation, the Court retained the competence to judge crimes committed during the exercise of office, even after leaving public office.
Also on social media, Eduardo Bolsonaro commented on the controversy involving retired judge Sebastião Coelho, who was prevented from entering the plenary of the First Chamber and was detained for contempt and insults against ministers. Coelho is the lawyer for Filipe Martins, a former advisor to the Presidency denounced by the Attorney General's Office, but whose case has not yet been judged.
In English, Eduardo described the detention as "a new level of arbitrariness" and promised to report the episode to the government of former US President Donald Trump. Eduardo is on leave from the Chamber of Deputies and currently resides in the United States, where he has been engaging with figures linked to Trumpism and intensifying his criticism of the Brazilian judiciary. According to allies of the Bolsonaro family, his move was due to alleged "political persecution by the Supreme Federal Court."
“Now, in Brazil, the Supreme Federal Court is scandalously violating the prerogatives of lawyers, arresting lawyers without any consideration or respect. This is a serious violation of the Statute of the Legal Profession – yet another abuse that I will make sure to report to the authorities here in the United States,” Eduardo wrote on social media.
The trial of the complaint against Bolsonaro, former minister Walter Braga Netto and six other allies will resume this Wednesday (26). The panel will decide whether the accused will become defendants for the attempted coup d'état.
