The 70-year-old ex-president, who ruled Brazil between 2019 and 2022, has been brought to justice for having tried to stage a coup and is accused of having led a "criminal organization" that planned to prevent the left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from coming to power.
Bolsonaro and six other defendants appeared to be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday. A seventh participated via link from prison.
Bolsonaro's former right-hand man, Mauro Cid, told the court that the ex-president had "received and read" a draft of a decree for the declaration of a state of emergency. He then "edited" the document, which would have paved the way for measures to "take over the election" that Lula won with a narrow margin.
In addition to participating in the alleged coup plans, Bolsonaro is accused of having known about plans to murder Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin and archenemy and judge of the Supreme Court Alexandre de Moraes.
Bolsonaro – who risks forty years in prison – hopes for a comeback in the presidential election 2026, despite being banned from running.
