Brazil's Supreme Court Halts Law That Could Reduce Ex-President Bolsonaro's Sentence

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered a temporary suspension of a new law that could potentially grant sentence reductions to former President Jair Bolsonaro and others convicted of attempting to overthrow the government. The law, passed by the conservative-majority Congress in December, was initially vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in January but was later overridden by Congress in late April, officially taking effect on May 8. The new legislation applies to all individuals convicted of coup attempts and aims to shorten the waiting period for applying for sentence reductions, potentially significantly reducing their prison time. However, defense lawyers must submit applications to the Supreme Court, which will then recalculate the reduced sentences on a case-by-case basis. Justice de Moraes's order halts the law's implementation until the Supreme Court can fully review its constitutionality. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September last year for allegedly plotting to remain in power after losing the 2022 election.