Eduardo Bolsonaro sentenced to additional year in prison for defaming federal deputy
The Supreme Federal Court has condemned Eduardo Bolsonaro to one year in prison and a fine of 80,000 reais for defamation against deputy Tabata Amaral. It is the second sentence since he left Brazil.
Second Supreme Court conviction: one year in prison for defamation
Former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, has received a new conviction from the Supreme Federal Court (STF): one year in prison for defamation against federal deputy Tabata Amaral. According to CNN Portugal, the decision was made in virtual proceedings, with seven votes in favour and three against.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of approximately 80,000 reais — around 13,500 euros — on the Liberal Party (PL) politician. Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the case, clarified that the sentence cannot be replaced by restrictive measures because the convicted person is in "an undetermined location".
Origin of the complaint: false accusation over sanitary pads
Parliamentarian Tabata Amaral, of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), filed a criminal complaint in 2021. The reason: Eduardo Bolsonaro had falsely accused the deputy of acting to benefit a hygiene products company, whose owner supposedly financed his political campaigns. The accusation arose in relation to a bill presented by Amaral to Congress, which would require the Government to distribute sanitary pads.
The Supreme Federal Court concluded that the statements were unfounded and that they harmed Tabata Amaral's reputation.
A series of legal and professional setbacks
This is the second sentence handed down against Eduardo Bolsonaro since he left Brazil to settle in the United States, where he claims to be a victim of political and judicial persecution. In June, the same court had already condemned him to four years and two months in prison for obstruction of justice.
The following week, the Supreme Federal Court unanimously rejected an appeal by the defence and upheld that sentence, which also includes a prohibition on holding public office for 12 years — until 2038. In that case, he was found guilty of having made efforts with the American Government to pressure the Brazilian judicial system, at a time when the Supreme Federal Court was judging the alleged coup d'état led by Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
The setbacks extend to the professional sphere. On the Monday before the new conviction, Eduardo Bolsonaro was dismissed from his position as Federal Police clerk for abandonment of post. The Ministry of Justice determined that, because he has resided in the United States since the beginning of last year, he accumulated more than 30 consecutive days of unjustified absences — despite having obtained the position through a public examination in 2010. In December, his mandate as deputy had already been revoked for exceeding the constitutional limit on absences from parliamentary sessions.
Brother's election campaign continues
Despite the accumulation of convictions, Eduardo Bolsonaro continues to participate actively in the election campaign of his older brother, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the main opposition candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for 4 October. Flávio Bolsonaro appears technically tied in the polls with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running for re-election — both for the first round and for a possible second round, scheduled for 25 October.
Source: CNN Portugal