Defense lawyers for former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro asked the country's Supreme Court for an acquittal during closing arguments on Wednesday, August 14, in a trial where he's accused of attempting a coup. In a 197-page document submitted to the court, Bolsonaro's lawyers argued the far-right former head of state is "innocent of all charges" and that an "absolute lack" of evidence was presented during the trial, which began in May. He faces up to 40 years in prison if found guilty.
Bolsonaro and seven collaborators are accused of attempting to hold power despite his 2022 electoral defeat to Brazil's current leftist leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro, who led the Latin American country from 2019 to 2022, has maintained his innocence for months, calling any coup "abhorrent."
On January 8, 2023, a week after Lula's inauguration, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia, alleging election fraud and calling on the military to intervene.
Earlier this month, Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in Brasilia for violating a ban on using social media to plead his case to the public.