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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has officially appealed his 27-year prison sentence.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a coordinated attempt to overturn the results of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election, which he lost to left-wing candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy involving top aides and military officials to delegitimize the electoral process and cling to power unlawfully. Central to his conviction are claims that Bolsonaro incited unrest, spread “misinformation” about the integrity of Brazil’s voting system, and supported efforts to disrupt the democratic transition. Bolsonaro, for his part, denies all wrongdoing, insisting the case is politically motivated and aimed at blocking his return to power in 2026. He claims to be the victim of persecution by the judiciary working with Lula’s administration, a position the Trump administration says is true.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, lawyers for Bolsonaro have submitted an 85-page motion to Brazil’sSupreme Court seeking a review of his conviction and 27-year prison sentence. Rather than filing a full appeal that could overturn the ruling entirely (which would require at least two dissenting justices), they’ve submitted what’s known as a motion for clarification. This type of legal action is used to challenge specific aspects of a decision that may contain ambiguities, contradictions, or omissions without necessarily disputing the entire verdict.

In the motion, Bolsonaro’s legal team argues that the court’s ruling involved “profound injustices” and flawed reasoning. They contend that some of the charges Bolsonaro was convicted of (specifically “organizing a coup” and “attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law”) are redundant and should not carry cumulative penalties. The appeal also accuses the court of procedural unfairness, including dumping large volumes of documents and failing to give Bolsonaro’s lawyers sufficient time to mount an adequate defense. Justice Luiz Fux was the only dissenting vote on the five-member panel, which limits Bolsonaro’s ability to file a broader appeal under Brazilian law.

The court is expected to rule on Bolsonaro’s motion, and those of his co-defendants, between November 7 and 14.