Lawmakers approve Bill that could cut Bolsonaro's sentence

Move by Brazil's Lower House could slash prison term of former leader for coup plot

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Brazil's Lower House of Congress approved a Bill early on Dec 10 that could slash former president Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence for plotting a coup, after efforts by a lawmaker to disrupt the proceedings sparked chaos in Parliament.

The far-right former leader has been serving a 27-year term since November after his conviction for a scheme to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 elections.

Lawmakers had been discussing a Bill that would significantly reduce sentences for several crimes, including attempting a coup d'etat - opening up the prospect that Bolsonaro, 70, could see his sentence cut to just over two years.

After a heated debate that saw one lawmaker forcibly removed by police, the Lower House of Congress approved the Bill on the morning of Dec 10. It awaits Senate ratification before becoming law.

Bolsonaro's supporters in the conservative-majority Congress have for months weighed different options to ease his punishment, including a possible amnesty that fizzled out after countrywide protests.