The Supreme Court of Brazil on Saturday suspended the implementation of a law that would reduce the prison sentence of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, pending the outcome of legal challenges against it.

Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 elections. The law in question could potentially have freed him in 2028.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension until the Supreme Court holds a full hearing on appeals challenging the law’s constitutionality, the ruling said.

What is the law?

The new law applies to all those convicted of plotting coups, including Bolsonaro. It aims to reduce the waiting period for sentence reductions and significantly cut jail time.

Passed in December, the law was vetoed by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a month later. However, in April, lawmakers led by Bolsonaro’s allies overturned the presidential veto, and the bill was enacted on Friday.

The legislation requires defense attorneys to file requests with the Supreme Court to have sentences recalculated on a case-by-case basis.

Moraes’ ruling suspends the review of such cases until the full Supreme Court meets to decide on the law’s constitutionality.

Two Brazilian political parties and the press association ABI separately challenged the bill this week.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers are yet to formally request a recalculation of his sentence. But on Friday, they filed a motion for criminal review with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the conviction.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar