Eduardo Bolsonaro convicted over push for US pressure on Brazil court
A Supreme Court panel sentenced the lawmaker to four years and two months over efforts to involve Washington in his father’s case.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
A Brazilian Supreme Court panel voted to convict Eduardo Bolsonaro of seeking United States pressure on Brazil’s judiciary, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The ruling matters because it adds another criminal judgment against the family of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a central force on Brazil’s political right.
Three of the four justices on the panel backed conviction on Tuesday, with one justice still to vote, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The panel sentenced Eduardo Bolsonaro, a federal lawmaker and Jair Bolsonaro’s third son, to four years and two months in prison.
The justices found that Eduardo Bolsonaro’s conduct amounted to coercion against Brazil’s justice system, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Justice Cristiano Zanin said the actions went beyond political speech, calling them “illegitimate and criminal” and saying they threatened Brazilian authorities and citizens.
Campaign focused on father’s case
Prosecutors accused Eduardo Bolsonaro of running an unlawful effort to win support from US President Donald Trump and use foreign influence to pressure Brazilian officials to abandon the case against Jair Bolsonaro, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Eduardo Bolsonaro had said in March 2025 that he would move to the United States full time to devote all his energy to freeing his father.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence over efforts to stay in power after losing Brazil’s 2022 election, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Prosecutors described those efforts as an attempted coup, while Bolsonaro and his family have framed the case as political persecution.
Trump, an ally of Jair Bolsonaro, also sought to remain in office after losing the 2020 US election and has accused Brazilian officials of targeting right-wing figures, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. In July 2025, Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on some Brazilian goods and cited Jair Bolsonaro’s trial as a reason, writing that the case should end immediately.
Trump also sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who was involved in the Bolsonaro case, through an executive order that accused him of targeting political opponents and suppressing dissent, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The US later expanded those sanctions to include de Moraes’s family members and other Brazilian judicial officials.
US-Brazil tensions have eased
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the US measures as interference in Brazil’s internal affairs, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. As relations between Lula and Trump improved, the Trump administration eased tariffs on Brazil and, in December, lifted the sanctions on de Moraes and his family.
Lula visited the White House in May and described his meeting with Trump as productive, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The report said it remains unclear what role Trump may seek in Brazil’s coming presidential election.
Lula is seeking a fourth term and is likely to face strong opposition from Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro’s eldest son, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. A CNT/MDA poll released Tuesday put Lula at 49.3 percent in a runoff against Flavio Bolsonaro, who was projected at 40.2 percent.
Flavio Bolsonaro has also faced legal scrutiny, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Police opened an inquiry in April into whether he defamed Lula, and his links to a disgraced banker have drawn media attention.
Jair Bolsonaro also faced new questions this week after police found a firearm during a routine inspection at his home in Brasilia, where he is serving three months of his sentence on medical grounds, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. De Moraes gave his lawyers 24 hours to explain why the convicted former president had a 9mm Glock pistol at home.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.