The law would have significantly reduced Bolsonaro's sentence, but Lula vetoed it.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have significantly reduced the prison sentence for former President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

The controversial bill, passed by Congress in December, would have reduced Bolsonaro's sentence to just over two years. It also provided for reduced sentences for participants in the January 2023 riots, during which Bolsonaro's supporters stormed the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court.

In his statement, Lula clarified that all those involved in the coup attempt had been convicted "transparently and impartially" on the basis of "strong evidence." By vetoing the bill, he fulfilled a promise he made in December.

It is not yet clear whether Congress will be able to override Lula's veto. Approximately 2,000 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest in Brazil. Several of them are already serving sentences for attempting a coup and other crimes.

(reuters, max)