Berliner Tageblatt - Bolsonaro 'never' discussed coup plot, ally tells Brazil court

The Supreme Court is in its second week of witness testimony in Bolsonaro's coup trial, for which he faces up to 40 years in prison and being stripped of his right to hold office.

Prosecutors say Brazil's leader from 2019-2022 led a "criminal organization" plotting to undo Lula's election victory.

Called by the defense, Bolsonaro's then-infrastructure minister Tarcisio de Freitas told the court he was not aware of such a plot.

"During the period I was with the president during the final stretch (of the government), in several conversations, he never touched on that subject, never mentioned any attempt at constitutional disruption," said Freitas, who is now governor of the state of Sao Paulo.

Freitas testified that Bolsonaro was in low spirits and facing health problems following his electoral defeat in October 2022.

"I found the president sad and resigned," said Freitas, who is considered a possible successor to Bolsonaro.

The former leader had stated his intent to challenge a court ruling in a different case that barred him from seeking the presidency again in elections next year.

Senator Ciro Nogueira, who had served as Bolsonaro's chief of staff, also told the court his former boss had "under no circumstances" demonstrated coup intentions.

The court has heard from about 50 witnesses, including senior military officials, former ministers, police officers, and intelligence officials.

The hearings are presided over by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, considered a political adversary of Bolsonaro.

Former army commander General Marco Antonio Freire Gomes testified this month that he had attended a meeting with Bolsonaro in December 2022 where the declaration of a "state of siege" was discussed as a means of justifying military intervention after Lula's election victory.

Witness testimony is set to conclude on Monday with Bolsonaro and seven co-defendants on the stand. The trial itself is then expected to last several more months before a verdict is reached.

Bolsonaro is also accused of being aware of a plot to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Moraes.

Bolsonaro denies any role in a coup attempt and claims to be a victim of "political persecution."

He was in the United States on January 8, 2023, when thousands of supporters invaded and ransacked key government buildings, demanding a military intervention to oust Lula a week after his inauguration.

That effort also failed.

Bolsonaro, who recently underwent abdominal surgery to treat problems arising from a 2018 knife attack, has said a conviction would amount to a "death penalty, political and physical."

M.Odermatt--BTB