Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, was officially charged on Tuesday, February 18, over an alleged conspiracy to overturn his 2022 election defeat. The country's top prosecutor, Paulo Gonet, filed charges against Bolsonaro and 33 others, including several former ministers and a former navy chief, with Brazil’s Supreme Court.

According to the indictment, Bolsonaro led a "criminal organization" that sought to undermine democracy as part of an "authoritarian project of power." Despite the serious accusations, Bolsonaro is unlikely to be arrested before trial unless Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes considers him a flight risk.

These charges follow a two-year federal police investigation into Bolsonaro’s role in the election-denial movement, which culminated in violent riots in Brasília in January 2023, shortly after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office. Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 election, and since then, Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations a politically motivated witch hunt.

This marks the first time Bolsonaro has been criminally charged, although he has faced multiple legal challenges since his electoral loss. Two previous court rulings have already barred him from running in the 2026 presidential election, further dimming his chances of a political comeback. His legal team has yet to respond to the indictment.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file.