Brasilia: Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro begin serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup against his successor. The Supreme Court officially concluded Bolsonaro’s case on Tuesday, making the guilty verdict final. Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to begin serving his sentence at the Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia, where he had been held since Saturday after tampering with his ankle tracking bracelet while under house arrest for another case.

According to Thai News Agency, the decision marks a significant setback for the former president, who rose to power in 2019. Since leaving office in 2022, Bolsonaro has faced multiple convictions, been barred from holding public office, and lost the support of former ally US President Donald Trump. Trump’s administration has now begun lifting high tariffs on Brazil, initially imposed as punishment for Bolsonaro’s prosecution.

Celso Vilardi, one of Bolsonaro’s lawyers, expressed concerns that the court rushed the case and argued that more time should have been allowed for an appeal. Bolsonaro’s legal team has stated they will continue to contest the ruling.

In September, Bolsonaro received a sentence of 27 years and three months for plotting a coup after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Prior to his imprisonment, Bolsonaro was under house arrest in Brasilia for over 100 days, facing charges related to soliciting Trump to intervene in his favor in a separate case.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman and Bolsonaro’s son, described the prosecution of his father as “psychological torture” and a “staged game” during an interview on Tuesday.