Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a military coup following his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices ruled in favor of the conviction, with four voting to convict and one to acquit. The court also barred Bolsonaro from running for public office until 2033. He was previously disqualified from contesting the 2026 election on separate charges.

Bolsonaro, who was placed under house arrest as a flight risk, did not appear in court for the final phase of the trial. His legal team has condemned the ruling as “absurdly excessive” and vowed to appeal.

The verdict has drawn international attention. Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the ruling, calling it a political witch hunt, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the decision and warned of consequences. In response, Brazil’s foreign ministry defended the court’s ruling and rejected what it called intimidation from foreign officials.

This unprecedented sentence marks a significant chapter in Brazil’s democratic history.