Bolsonaro awarded damages in palace furniture row
In October 2022, Jair Bolsonaro narrowly lost his bid for re-election to President Lula after a divisive campaign
Thomas Mackintosh
BBC News
The Brazilian state has been ordered to pay former President Jair Bolsonaro some $2,600 (£2,025) in damages over accusations he took furniture from the presidential residence.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had publicly accused Bolsonaro of taking more than 260 objects as he cleared out of Alvorada Palace – including even “the bed.”
Bolsonaro and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro later said they had put publicly-owned furniture in storage during the far-right politician’s three-year term between 2019 and 2022, saying they preferred to decorate the residence to their own taste.
On Tuesday a federal judge ordered the Bolsonaros to be compensated for “moral damage” suffered as a result of the claims that they had stripped the palace of numerous objects.
The court also ordered the presidency to publish a retraction, according to a judgment seen by AFP news agency, in a case brought by the Bolsonaros.
The state legal office told AFP news agency it would appeal Tuesday’s ruling.
Separately, Jair Bolsonaro is still facing other legal challenges, including an investigation into whether he incited rioters who stormed key government buildings after he narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to his left-wing rival.
He has voiced “regret” for the unrest, but denies he caused it.
However, Brazil’s Supreme Court has agreed to include him in its investigation into the storming of government buildings on 8 January 2023.
Bolsonaro was in the US when the attack on Congress happened, but he returned to Brazil in March 2023 saying he had nothing to fear.
He remains the most influential figurehead for the right in Brazilian politics.
