The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue, as he and others on Brazil's supreme court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt.

➡️ Even with the conviction already certain, Bolsonaro is not expected to go to prison immediately. The next step is the publication of the judgment (acórdão), which may take up to 60 days after the trial, though it is expected to occur earlier. The publication of the judgment that made Bolsonaro a defendant, in April, happened in 15 days.

➡️ After this publication, the defense has five days to file motions for clarification (embargos de declaração) and 15 days for motions for a new judgment (embargos infringentes). The sentence is only enforced after the expiration of the appeal deadlines — the so-called trânsito em julgado, when the decision becomes final. The motions for clarification, which can be filed regardless of the vote tally, serve to clarify ambiguity, omission, or contradiction in the ruling. They do not alter the merits but can lead, for example, to a sentence reduction. The motions for a new judgment, however, can change the outcome of the trial. This is the appeal the defense may file to reopen discussion on the merits, but only if there are two dissenting votes.

➡️ There is, however, debate about whether motions for a new judgment are admissible in cases of divergence over sentencing length, rather than conviction. The STF press office states that they are only possible “if there are two votes for acquittal.” In Brazil, sentences longer than eight years begin to be served in a closed regime. However, house arrest is applicable for people over 70 years old who have a serious health condition, which is Bolsonaro’s case.