Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party rejected on Friday the conviction of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, over an attempted coup.
Speaking during an interview on the national news show Jornal Nacional, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro criticised the trial that led to Jair Bolsonaro being sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison following the January 8 riots in Brasília.
The senator argued that the charge of damaging public property at the Praça dos Três Poderes was baseless because his father was miles away in the United States at the time. He added that the former president could only have vandalised property remotely via Wi-Fi.
Flávio Bolsonaro also questioned the conviction for involvement in an armed criminal organisation. He stated that the demonstrators present during the events did not know each other and did not possess any weapons.
Although Jair Bolsonaro did not physically take part in the events, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court ruled that the former leader held active and indirect responsibility for the attempted coup. The Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília houses Brazil's presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Federal Court.
Allegations of judicial bias
During the interview, the candidate claimed that the trial was a farce conducted by his father's political enemies. He specifically named Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, describing him as a declared enemy, alongside Justices Flávio Dino and Cristiano Zanin, noting their ties to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Jair Bolsonaro served as president of Brazil from 2019 to 2022 before losing his re-election bid to Lula. His son Flávio Bolsonaro is now running for the presidency as a representative of the conservative Liberal Party.
Flávio Bolsonaro promised that if he wins the upcoming election, he will work to ensure that an amnesty for those convicted is granted during the presidential transition period.
