Sao Paulo, Brazil – The lower house of Brazil’s Congress has passed a bill that could reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup.The contentious vote came in the early hours of Wednesday, after a protest by a left-wing congressman triggered a fight involving lawmakers, police and journalists.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe bill, which the Senate must now approve, aims to reduce the sentences of more than 1,000 people involved in the attacks on January 8, 2023, which saw Bolsonaro’s supporters storm government headquarters in Brasilia.Its beneficiaries would include Bolsonaro and several ministers and military officials who were convicted alongside the ex-president for plotting to hold onto power after losing the 2022 elections.The bill was brought to a vote late on Tuesday night, prompting outrage from its opponents. The scene inside the Chamber of Deputies quickly devolved into chaos, with pushing and shoving between lawmakers.Glauber Braga, a left-wing congressman opposed to the bill, attempted to block the vote by sitting in the chamber president’s chair, before being forcibly removed by police. Congress members in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies consider a bill to alter sentencing guidelines for certain crimes, including those involving coups d’etat, on December 9 [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]Tulio Amancio, a Brazilian reporter from the network TV Band, witnessed the scuffle. He told Al Jazeera that journalists were forcibly expelled from the chamber, and the live television signal was cut. Advertisement When Braga was removed, Amancio said journalists rus …
