Brazil Judge Blocks Law That Could Shorten Bolsonaros Prison Term

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has issued an order suspending the implementation of a law that would allow for reduced prison sentences for certain individuals convicted in connection with a plot to remain in office after the 2022 presidential election.

The law, which was passed by Brazil’s Congress in December, would have applied to individuals like former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September. However, de Moraes has ordered that the law be put on hold until a full hearing can be convened to consider appeals challenging its constitutionality.

The Supreme Court had previously sentenced Bolsonaro to prison for his involvement in the plot, but the law would have allowed for reduced sentences for those convicted. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vetoed the bill in January, but it was overridden by Congress in late April.

Plaintiffs who were affected by the law have asked the Supreme Court to overturn it, citing concerns over its constitutionality. Lawyers for those convicted must now file individual requests for sentence reduction, pending the court’s decision on the law’s constitutionality.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers have filed a new appeal to the Supreme Court, asking it to review what they claim is an “unjust” conviction. The controversy surrounding Bolsonaro’s conviction and sentencing remains ongoing in Brazil, with his allies describing it as a political witch-hunt and opponents viewing it as a necessary form of accountability.

Source: Al Jazeera