Brazil's Senate Approves Sentence Reductions for January 8 Coup Attempt Convicts
Brazil's Senate passes a bill reducing sentences for those convicted in the January 8, 2023 coup attempt, potentially cutting former President Bolsonaro's sentence drastically.
- • Senate approves PL 2.162/2023 with 48 votes in favor, reducing sentences for January 8 coup convicts.
- • Amendment by Senator Sergio Moro restricts reductions to coup-related offenses.
- • Bill may reduce Jair Bolsonaro's sentence from 27 years to just over 2 years.
- • New rules allow earlier sentence progression and sentence reduction through work during house arrest.
Key details
On December 17, 2025, Brazil's Senate approved the PL 2.162/2023 bill, known as the "dosimetry law," aimed at reducing sentences for individuals convicted of participating in the January 8, 2023 coup attempts. The vote passed with 48 in favor, 25 against, and one abstention, and the project is now awaiting presidential sanction.
Introduced by Deputy Marcelo Crivella and reported by Senator Esperidião Amin, the bill revises the Penal Execution Law to allow earlier transitions to less severe sentencing regimes. Key amendments, including one by Senator Sergio Moro, limit sentence reductions exclusively to those involved in the coup-related acts, excluding other violent offenses such as organized crime or crimes against public administration.
Senator Amin highlighted the bill's purpose to correct what he described as "distortions" in the harsh penalties imposed for anti-democratic actions, suggesting the judicial approach has been excessively severe. He also mentioned the possibility of this legislation laying the groundwork for future amnesty.
Notably, the bill could significantly reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence. Currently sentenced by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to over 27 years for his role in the coup efforts, Bolsonaro's punishment could be diminished to just over two years in a closed regime under the new rules.
The legislation introduces a sentencing differentiation mechanism whereby those less directly involved, such as non-funding or non-leadership roles in the crimes, may receive sentence reductions ranging from one-third to two-thirds. Additionally, the bill allows individuals under house arrest to reduce their sentences through work, expanding beyond the current restriction to only educational activities.
This legislative development represents a significant shift in Brazil’s approach to penalizing anti-democratic acts connected to the January 8 coup attempts, prompting extensive debate and highlighting the balance between justice and leniency for political crimes.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
