Brazilian court allows charges against Bolsonaro's son for coercion
A court will now rule on whether Eduardo Bolsonaro’s lobbying of US President Donald Trump amounted to illegal interference.
Buenos Aires (dpa) - The son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is facing criminal proceedings for allegedly coercing the judiciary.
In a statement released on Saturday, Brazil's Supreme Court said it had allowed charges to be brought against lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro.
The judges could still modify their decision by November 25, but any reversal would be unprecedented for the chamber.
Eduardo Bolsonaro currently lives in the United States. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.
Prosecutors accuse him of attempting to pressure the Brazilian judiciary into imposing a lenient sentence on his father in the former president's coup trial.
He allegedly used his contacts in US government circles to push for punitive tariffs on Brazilian products and sanctions against judges involved in the proceedings.
The Supreme Court sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison in September for attempting a coup after his election defeat to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.