The 5 Judges of the Supreme Court of Brazil who could decide the future of former president Bolsonaro

Sao Paulo (AP) – The destiny of the former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro is largely in the hands of five people.

In the next three weeks, a panel formed by five of the 11 judges of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil will decide whether Bolsonaro and another 33 people accused by the attorney general of trying a coup d’etat will be judged.

To accelerate certain cases, including penalties, the high court can use one of its two panels from five judges, both permanent and exclude the president of the entity. Changes in committees usually occur mainly at request or when one of its members becomes president of the Court. In Brazil, that position is exercised for two years.

As rapporteur of cases against Bolsonaro, Judge Alexandre de Moraes was authorized to present them before the panel of which he is part.

The group of five judges who could decide the future of Bolsonaro excludes the two magistrates appointed by him – André Mendonça and Kássio Nunes Marques – who are part of the other committee.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers have stated that they want the ruling to depend on the court in full, not only on the five judges. But that decision can only be taken by De Moraes, as rapporteur of the case, or by three of the panel magistrates – a majority.

If the charges are accepted, that same committee could become the main judicial body that listens to the defense of Bolsonaro, the testimony of witnesses and dictates a sentence.

The country’s legal experts are divided on whether to maintain the judgment limited to that panel, so that it does not extend to the presidential elections of 2026, or request a decision of the full court, which would have greater authority.

Luis Henrique Machado, criminal lawyer and professor at IDP University in Brasilia, points out that it is “practically impossible” that the panel rejects charges against Bolsonaro, although this does not guarantee a guilt verdict.

The former president denies any irregularity in the five positions against him and said he is being politically persecuted.

Next, a look at the judges who will decide on the possible trial of Bolsonaro and will probably issue a sentence in the case:

Alexandre de Moraes

De Moraes is the rapporteur of cases against the former president in the court and also a goal of Bolsonaro and his allies. Appointed by former president Michel Temer in 2017, he is considered a conservative member of the Court who, unlike his peers, has experience as secretary of Public Security. The 56 -year -old judge was also the target of the criticism of billionaire Elon Musk, who advocated his dismissal for an alleged judicial overreach.

Cármen Lúcia

Lucia, which also presides over the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil, was appointed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2006, during his first term. Since then, the 70 -year -old magistrate has been considered one of the most severe in the court in criminal cases, including against the current president. Lúcia has often followed De Moraes in his decisions about democratic safeguards. Two years ago, he wrote in one of his failures that Bolsonaro did not respect the presidency.

Cristiano Zanin

Zanin is the president of the panel. The 49 -year -old magistrate was a lawyer from Lula between 2013 and 2023, when he was appointed by the leftist leader for the country’s superior court. His work and annulled the sentence for corruption against Lula in the High Court, which allowed him Lula to jail for almost a year.

Flávio Dino

Dino, 56, is a former federal judge who made the transition to politics before being appointed for the Superior Court, where it is the latest incorporation. He was appointed by Lula in 2023 after being his Minister of Justice. He held that position when Bolsonaro supporters assaulted government buildings on January 8, 2023, something that, according to the Attorney General, was part of a plan to return the ultra -right leader to the presidency. Dino has been critical of Bolsonaro for years.

Luiz Fux

Considered by his counterparts as a moderate, he was appointed in 2011 by the then president Dilma Rousseff. Fux, 71, had a difficult relationship with Bolsonaro’s mandate when he served as president of the High Court between 2020 and 2022, especially regarding issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic. When he left office, shortly before the last presidential elections, he said that the Court was a daily white of “hostile words or anti -democratic acts.” Often follow De Moraes decisions.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.