Brazil’s Superior Military Court received on Tuesday (Feb. 3) a request from the Military Prosecutor’s Office to expel former President Jair Bolsonaro, three Army generals, and a Navy admiral from the Armed Forces following their conviction in the criminal case related to the coup plot.

The office filed actions seeking the loss of officer rank against Bolsonaro, a reserve Army captain, and reserve generals Augusto Heleno, Paulo Sergio Nogueira, Braga Netto, and Admiral Almir Garnier. All were convicted by the Supreme Court in the criminal case involving the core organizers of the coup plot.

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The measure by the Military Prosecutor’s Office came after the Supreme Court issued the final judgment of the convictions last year, ending the possibility of appeal and ordering the imprisonment of the former president and the other convicts.

According to the Constitution, an officer of the Armed Forces can be expelled following a criminal conviction with a sentence exceeding two years in prison. In the coup plot trial, Bolsonaro and the other defendants received sentences ranging from 19 to 27 years.

If the Superior Military Court decrees the loss of rank, the salaries Bolsonaro and the other military personnel receive will be transferred to their wives or daughters as a pension. This benefit, known as “fictitious death,” has been provided for in Armed Forces legislation since 1960.

The court is composed of 15 ministers: five civilians and ten military personnel, representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Judgment

At a press conference, the president of the Superior Military Court, Maria Elisabeth Rocha, explained that the court has no legal deadline for judging the cases.

She said she will schedule the cases for judgment immediately after the rapporteurs release them. According to the internal rules, the president votes only in the event of a tie and always in favor of the defendant in cases involving the loss of officer rank.

“I do not intend to delay the judgment of such important issues submitted to the consideration of this court,” Rocha stated.

At the ceremony that opened Brazil’s 2026 judicial year on Monday (Feb. 2) at the Supreme Court in Brasília, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the trial for attempted coup d’état that convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, military personnel, and allied politicians.

Lula stated that he begins the year with renewed confidence and hope because “the institutions have fulfilled their role.”

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“Hope because Brazil has once again demonstrated that it is much bigger than any coup plotters or traitors to the homeland,” said the president, who also recalled that Brazil suffered external attacks in 2025.

“Brazil responded with dignity, based on international law, with the strength of its institutions and, above all, with the legitimacy conferred by the people. We reaffirm that no nation is built under guardianship, and that Brazilian democracy does not bow to pressure and intimidation from anyone,” he declared.

The Brazilian leader also cited the risks of misinformation for the 2026 elections. He said that operations against wealthy criminals by the Federal Police should continue and that a pact between the three branches of government to combat femicide is expected to be launched next Wednesday (4).

Coup plot

President Lula pointed out that the judiciary has been the guardian of both the Constitution and the popular vote, and denied that the Supreme Court had sought any leading role or assumed powers belonging to other branches.

“By acting in accordance with the law, the justices of the Supreme Court faced all sorts of pressure and even death threats. Even so, they did not shy away from their constitutional commitment,” he noted.

The president added that the criminal prosecution of the coup plot represented a historic milestone in Brazilian democracy, which emerged stronger from the attempted coup led by officials and military personnel from the previous administration.

“The conviction of the coup plotters sent a clear message – those responsible for any future attempt to disrupt democracy will be punished to the full extent of the law,” he stated.