Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced by Brazil’s Supreme Court to four years and two months in prison for attempting to coerce the judiciary by lobbying the US government to impose sanctions on Brazilian officials. The sentencing was delivered amid ongoing legal proceedings against Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a failed coup attempt following the 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The former lawmaker was accused of seeking support from the Trump administration and other US authorities to pressure Brazil’s Supreme Court, including advocating for sanctions against justices and tariffs on Brazilian goods. Eduardo Bolsonaro moved to the United States in 2025, months prior to his father’s trial, where he actively worked to build political backing, particularly from figures aligned with the former US president.

Following the conviction, Eduardo Bolsonaro denied he had been properly notified about the judicial process and dismissed claims that his lobbying efforts were intended to secure his father’s acquittal. Instead, he stated his objective was to compel the Supreme Court to sanction officials he accused of constitutional violations. His response came shortly after a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordered the freezing of his bank accounts and assets amid allegations that funds sent to him by Jair Bolsonaro were being used to finance his lobbying efforts.

Jair Bolsonaro served as Brazil’s president from 2019 until 2022 and was convicted of plotting a coup attempt to retain power after losing the election. In March, citing health concerns related to pneumonia, a court allowed the former army captain to serve a temporary three-month house arrest, a decision supported by his legal team on humanitarian grounds.

In May, Brazil’s Congress overturned a veto by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on legislation reducing Bolsonaro’s prison sentence. Lula had sought to block efforts by lawmakers to amend sentencing calculations, which would shorten the former president’s time behind bars to just over two years. However, Congress successfully overrode the veto, signaling ongoing political contestation surrounding Bolsonaro’s legal and political legacy.