A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices on Thursday reached the majority of votes needed to convict former President Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup in 2022 after he lost the presidential election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The right-wing populist was found guilty after three out of five Supreme Court justices voted to convict.

The court later sentenced him to 27 years in prison. 

Bolsonaro's lawyers said he would appeal the conviction, including at an international level. 

Justice Carmen Lucia, who issued the decisive third vote, framed the case as a "meeting between Brazil and its past, its present, and its future," referring to previous attempts to overthrow democracy in the country's history.

Lucia said there was enough evidence to demonstrate that Bolsonaro acted "with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions."

The judges voted to convict Bolsonaro of taking part in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish democracy, organizing a coup, and damaging government property and protected cultural assets.

The conviction will become final after the fifth judge, Lula's former lawyer Cristiano Zanin, casts a vote. One judge has already voted to acquit.

What do we know about the charges against Bolsonaro?

On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro supporters stormed several government buildings in the capital, Brasilia, just days after Lula's inauguration.

In July, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said that Bolsonaro and seven others had taken part in an "armed criminal association" that sought to "violently overthrow the democratic order."

The proceedings mark the first trial of a former Brazilian president on coup charges.

Case stokes divison 

Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest, with Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes declaring him a "flight risk" late last month.

He remains a popular political figure in Brazil. On Sunday, tens of thousands of Bolsonaro's supporters rallied in cities across the country. 

The case against Bolsonaro has also inflamed tensions between the US and Brazil, with US President Donald Trump denouncing the case against his Brazilian ally as a "witch hunt" and imposing a 50% tariff on various Brazilian goods. 

Brazilian President Lula has condemned Trump's interference in the Brazilian legal system, calling it "unacceptable" and an attempt to undermine Brazil's sovereignty.

Trump has faced similar charges of attempting to overturn election results after his own failed 2020 presidential bid.

Bolsonaro's supporters see the charges against him as politicized and have welcomed Trump's support.

Trump on Thursday called Bolsonaro's coup conviction "very surprising." 

Edited by: Louis Oelofse