Brazilian Ex-President Bolsonaro's Defense Pledges To Further Appeal

(MENAFN- IANS) Sao Paula, Sep 13 (IANS) The defence team of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced Thursday that it intends to file further appeals against the ruling sentencing him to 27 years and three months in prison.

The announcement followed a decision by four of five Supreme Federal Court justices to convict the former president of attempting a coup.

In a statement, attorneys Celso Vilardi and Paulo Amador da Cunha Bueno said they will pursue "all possible appeals, including internationally."

The attorneys argued the case should have been tried by a lower court or by the full Supreme Federal Court, not its First Panel. They also criticised the limited time allotted to review the evidence, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier, on September 11, Justices Carmen Lucia and Cristiano Zanin cast their votes to convict former President Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro was found guilty on five counts -- plotting a coup d'etat, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, participation in an armed criminal organisation, aggravated damage, and deterioration of listed heritage sites.

The Supreme Federal Court opened the case on September 2, with a conviction requiring a majority of the five-justice panel reviewing the case.

Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Flavio Dino on Tuesday found Bolsonaro guilty of the related charges, while Justice Luiz Fux on Wednesday voted for acquittal.

The 70-year-old former president is currently under house arrest. He may still appeal the verdict to the full Supreme Federal Court of 11 justices.

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Bolsonaro has the right to defend himself, a right that was denied to Lula when he was arrested in 2018 on corruption charges. The case against him was later overturned when the anti-corruption Operation Car Wash was found to have been politically motivated.

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