Brazil's Supreme Court to Try Eduardo Bolsonaro for Obstructing Father's Coup Trial

Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, will face trial at Brazil's Supreme Court starting June 16. He is accused of obstructing the legal proceedings against his father, who is facing charges related to an alleged coup attempt. The trial will be heard by the First Chamber of the Supreme Court.

The former congressman, who claims to be living in "exile" in the United States since early 2025, is charged with "coercion in the course of a process." According to the prosecution, Eduardo Bolsonaro met with representatives of the Donald Trump administration to advocate for sanctions against Brazil. This action, prosecutors allege, was intended to hinder the trial of his father, who was ultimately convicted of leading a coup plot after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The alleged maneuvers by Eduardo Bolsonaro led the Trump administration to impose political and financial sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court justices and government officials, along with tariffs on Brazilian products. These measures, later reversed, occurred during the final stages of Jair Bolsonaro's trial. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison on September 11 for his role in the alleged coup plot.

Prosecutors maintain that Eduardo Bolsonaro fostered the U.S. government's actions to prevent the Supreme Court from convicting his father. They argue he "deliberately used serious threats against the authorities responsible" for the coup trial, with some threats materializing to benefit his father. Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lost his congressional seat after moving to the U.S., is being represented by a public defender as he has not appointed a private lawyer.