When a democratically elected president acts undemocratically, how do you hold him accountable? It isn’t easy. Most leaders — even those who attempt to hold power through coups — evade justice. But there are exceptions. Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted last year of leading a coup plot after his failed reelection bid in 2022. He is now serving a 27-year prison sentence. Last week, former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years for charges relating to his imposition of martial law in late 2024.
In the new issue of the Journal of Democracy, Luciano Da Ros and Manoel Gehrke reveal what it takes to bring an authoritarian justice, focusing on the example of Bolsonaro. Also, check out our coverage of Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law and how South Korea got to such a dangerous moment.
How to Bring Authoritarians to Justice
Brazil did something that few democracies achieve: It convicted a former president of attempting a coup. How did the country’s courts hold would-be autocrat Jair Bolsonaro accountable when so many other coup plotters go unpunished?
Luciano Da Ros and Manoel Gehrke
(jod@ned.org)
