Brazil: A majority of the highest electoral court in Brazil has voted to prevent former President Mr. Jair Bolsonaro from holding public office until 2030 over his conduct during last year’s tightly contested elections.

The Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), consisting of seven members, voted five-to-two on Friday to find the far-right leader guilty of abusing his power by attempting to undermine the country’s electronic voting system.

Mr. Bolsonaro has been accused of encouraging his supporters to reject his narrow defeat to left-wing President Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the October elections, which resulted in an attack on government buildings earlier this year.

The court’s decision, once the voting of all the justices concludes, means that Mr. Bolsonaro will not be able to contest the presidential elections in 2026, dealing a massive blow to the 68-year-old’s political future.

The President described the decision as a “stab in the back” and pledged to keep working to advance right-wing politics in Brazil.

A former army captain, Mr. Bolsonaro narrowly lost 3022’s presidential elections, securing 49.1 percent of the vote compared with Mr. Lula’s 50.9 percent.

The leader of the Liberal Party repeatedly questioned the integrity of Brazil’s voting system, alleging without any evidence that it was vulnerable to massive fraud.

Although Mr. Bolsonaro is not in danger of being imprisoned in relation to the electoral matter, he is currently under investigation for various criminal offences, which could potentially result in his incarceration.

Meanwhile, Brazilian Justice Minister Mr. Flavio Dino celebrated the electoral court’s decision.

“Some important messages come from the TSE trial: lying is not a legitimate tool for exercising a public function, and politics is not governed by the law of the jungle. Democracy has overcome its toughest stress test in decades,” Mr. Dino tweeted.

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