Bolsonaro's lawyers to present his defence at coup trial

Lawyers for Brazilian President Bolsonaro say they will present his defence on Tuesday in a trial over a possible coup attempt

A draft document posted online last week suggested the president would be charged with crimes against humanity, but his lawyers insist the charges are politically motivated. The case revolves around an allegation that Bolsonaro incited rioters to storm the halls of power in Brasilia on 8 January.

After two days of hearings behind closed doors, Judge Kassio Nunes is expected to announce the next steps in the case on Wednesday.

The case against Bolsonaro

The case centres on a speech the president gave on 7 January, in which he told supporters he would not allow the election result to be stolen. In rioting the next day, hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the congressional building, smashed the seats in the chamber, and vandalized the roof with graffiti.

After being arrested, many claimed they were responding to Bolsonaro's call, with some chanting, "He told us to go.

Bolsonaro's defence

In a draft document published last week, attorney General Bruno Bianco appeared to accept the argument that the speech had incited the riot, but he later clarified that the report was incomplete and did not reflect the opinion of all prosecutors.

The document said prosecutors would seek to charge Bolsonaro with "crime of insurrection," making him the first Brazilian president to be indicted after leaving office.

If charged and convicted, he could face jail time.

Next steps

The judge is expected to announce on Wednesday morning whether Bolsonaro will be charged and, if so, what crimes he will be charged with.

The decision had been expected yesterday, but the judge said he needed more time to review the 1,000-page transcript of a congressional hearing that took place on Tuesday afternoon.