Could Bolsonaro face prison? Understand why he is under investigation

The former president's political rights are suspended until 2030, and he has already been indicted in investigations on vaccine card forgery and jewelry buyback scandal Brazil's Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, former ministers Braga Netto and Augusto Heleno, along with 34 others, on charges of attempted coup, attempted elimination of the democratic rule of law, and criminal organization. The report has been completed and submitted to the Supreme Federal Court (STF). Attempted coup: Federal Police indict Bolsonaro, Braga Netto, Augusto Heleno, and 34 others Timeline: Arsenal, route mapping and coup attempt: the plan to assassinate Moraes, Lula, and Alckmin, according to Federal Police After his defeat in the 2022 elections, the former leader also faced a conviction from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for attacking electronic voting systems. He is also under investigation for the illegal sale of jewelry and the forgery of vaccine cards. As reported by GLOBO, the Office of the Attorney General is considering combining these charges into a single indictment, which will soon be presented to the Supreme Federal Court (STF). Here is the current status of the investigations against the former president: Ineligibility due to attacks on voting systems Bolsonaro has been convicted by the Electoral Court for making attacks against electronic voting systems during a meeting with ambassadors at the Palácio da Alvorada, just before the start of the 2022 campaign season. On that occasion, Bolsonaro claimed the electoral system was "unauditable," mentioned "hackers inside TSE computers," and alleged fraud in the 2018 elections. Following the incident, the Democratic Labor Party (PDT) filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of spreading "all sorts of informational disorder" during the speech, which was also broadcasted on TV Brasil and social media. The case was reviewed by TSE judges who, when considering the charges against the former president, cited other threats to democracy he made during his term, including insults against court members. Following a 5 to 2 ruling, Bolsonaro was declared ineligible until 2030, barring him from running in the next presidential election in 2026. Investigations on jewelry and vaccine cards Since then, the former president has been indicted in two additional inquiries. The first involves the forgery of COVID-19 vaccine cards to secure entry into the United States for himself, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid—his then presidential aide—and their families. Concluding the inquiry in March this year, the Federal Police indicted Bolsonaro, Cid, and officials linked to the government of Duque de Caxias, a municipality in the Baixada Fluminense region, where the false data was allegedly entered into the public health system (SUS). The second inquiry pertains to the sale and repurchase of jewelry received by Bolsonaro during official trips. Besides Bolsonaro's alleged involvement in the scheme, the Federal Police indicted close allies, including lawyers Frederick Wassef and Fabio Wajngarten, former advisor Marcelo Câmara, and Mauro Cid. Coup plot Bolsonaro is also under investigation for his involvement in a coup plot, which includes the analysis of a "coup draft" to prevent Lula's inauguration. As a development of this case, four military police officers and a federal officer were arrested on Tuesday for planning the arrest and execution of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, along with the president and vice president, Geraldo Alckmin. The former president was included in the investigation of those responsible for the January 8 events after sharing, two days post-attack on the headquarters of the Three Powers, a video with unsubstantiated accusations against the STF and TSE. In his testimony to the Federal Police, Bolsonaro claimed the publication was an accident. 'Parallel Intelligence Agency' Allies of the former president are also being investigated for forming a "parallel" structure within the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) to spy on political opponents. The inquiry highlights the illegal use of the First Mile program under the directive of then-chief Alexandre Ramagem to track the location of predetermined individuals via their cell phones. The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.