Brazil's Bolsonaro barred from holding public office until 2030

Judges in Brazil have barred former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years.

The 7-member Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) on Friday voted 5-2 to convict the far-right, pro-America politician for abuse of power.  

He was accused of falsely claiming that the electronic voting machines used in Brazil were vulnerable to hacking and fraud.

Bolsonaro had made claims in a televised meeting with foreign diplomats in July 2022, just three months before his narrow electoral defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the current Brazilian president. 

Prosecutors said Bolsonaro's claims contributed to a nationwide movement to overturn the result, which culminated in the invasion of government buildings in January, by thousands of his supporters.

Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing and called the decision a “stab in the back.”

He said he plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Justice Benedito Goncalves wrote the majority opinion in the trial. He said Bolsonaro used the meeting with ambassadors to "spread doubts and incite conspiracy theories."

Justice Alexandre de Moraes said Bolsonaro had spread a "chain of lies and fraudulent news" in his "radical" speech to ambassadors.

MG