BRASILIA, Brazil — Lawyers for Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro said in a last-ditch effort to defend him in court Wednesday that there is no evidence he attempted to carry out a coup.

On the second day of the verdict and sentencing phase of Mr. Bolsonaro’s coup trial, lawyer Celso Vilardi said that even if his client is accused of involvement in planning a coup — something which the defense doesn’t concede — he never went forward with attempting the crime, and therefore shouldn't be punished. Mr. Vilardi said his position is supported by the fact that Bolsonaro ordered a transition of power after the 2022 presidential election.

The right-wing ex-leader is accused of attempting a coup to stay in power despite his defeat in the October 2022 vote to current President Luiz Inácio Lu

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