Jair Bolsonaro requests acquittal in the trial for alleged coup against Lula da Silva.

Lawyers for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro asked the Supreme Court to acquit him on Wednesday, August 13, in the final arguments of the trial for his alleged coup attempt against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , following the 2022 elections.
In a 197-page document obtained by AFP , the former president's defense team asserted that their client "is innocent of all the charges brought in the complaint ," and stated that " the absolute lack of evidence has been demonstrated ." For this reason, "the acquittal of Jair Messias Bolsonaro on all charges is demanded."

"The truth, which many are not interested in, is that there is not a single piece of evidence linking the petitioner to the 'Green and Yellow Dagger Plan' or to the actions of the so-called 'Kids Pretos,' much less to the events of January 8 ," states another part of the document collected by the Brasil news agency.
The lawyers also denounced what they called a "historic and unusual" trial, because the defendants "are treated like swindlers, like guilty parties, long before their defense is presented . A significant portion of the country, the press, does not want a trial; they just want to know the magnitude of the sentence imposed."
The 70-year-old former president is being tried for plotting to stay in power after losing the election to Lula, and faces a sentence of more than 40 years in prison .
"Yellow-green dagger": the plot to assassinate Lula that implicates Bolsonaro in the coup trial
The Brazilian right-wing leader and seven others are accused of "criminal organization"; "attempted violent abolition of the rule of law"; "coup d'état"; "damage characterized by violence and serious threat"; and "damage to immovable property."
Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest after "repeatedly failing to comply with the precautionary measures" imposed on him. He has also been wearing an electronic anklet and is banned from social media since mid-July.
Brazil: Prosecutors ask the Supreme Court to convict Bolsonaro of attempted coup.
The Prosecutor's Office alleges that the former president led a criminal organization that attempted a coup against Lula. According to the indictment, he actively promoted the uprising after being defeated at the polls. The case file also mentions meetings where draft decrees discussing imprisoning Supreme Court judges were allegedly presented.
The defense, for its part, claims that "there is no way to convict" Bolsonaro "based on the evidence presented in the case file, which amply demonstrates that he ordered the transition" of power to Lula. The lawyers also question the testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid , a former aide to the former president, which is the basis of most of the complaint.

The US president, angered by the trial of his political ally, decided to suspend the visa of Alexandre de Moraes , the judge in charge of the case, and applied the Magnitsky Act, which imposes sanctions on foreign individuals responsible for serious human rights violations or guilty of significant acts of corruption.
Trump also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian products because, in his view, there is a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro, orchestrated by Lula's government.
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