The Supreme Electoral Court of Brazil has decided to prevent ex-president Jair Bolsonaro from seeking reelection for a period of eight years.

Prior to the 2016 presidential election, Mr. Bolsonaro was found guilty of misusing his position of authority.

He had been charged with harming Brazilian democracy by erroneously asserting that the country’s computerized voting systems were open to fraud and hacking.

Lawyers for Mr. Bolsonaro are anticipated to file an appeal over the decision.

They contend that his comments had no influence on the election outcome.

If the ruling is upheld, Mr. Bolsonaro will not be qualified to run in the 2026 presidential election but will be able to do so in 2030.

Additionally, he won’t be permitted to run in the 2024 and 2028 municipal elections.

The case against Mr. Bolsonaro was based on a speech he made in 2022, while he was still in office.

He summoned foreign diplomats to his home in the nation’s capital, Brasilia, on July 18, when he falsely asserted that Brazil’s computerized voting equipment were vulnerable to hacking and susceptible to widespread fraud.

Bolsonaro insisted that he “simply explained how elections work in Brazil” and did not criticize or assault the democratic process.

However, Mr. Bolsonaro’s archrival, the left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, challenged him for the presidency during a divisive campaign.

The fiercely contested election entered a run-off on October 30 and was won by Lula by a remarkably small margin.

Two days before Lula was inaugurated in as president, Mr. Bolsonaro departed Brazil for Florida without ever formally admitting defeat.

On January 8, his followers attacked the Supreme Court building, the presidential palace, and Congress in Brazil because they would not recognize the election results.