Following the Chamber's approval a week earlier, Brazil's Senate passed the Dosimetria Bill on December 17, 2025, potentially easing sentences for Jair Bolsonaro and January 8, 2023, convicts. President Lula's administration announced a veto, calling it a threat to democracy, while opposition leaders vowed to override it.
Brazil's Senate approved the Dosimetria Bill on December 17, 2025, with 48 votes in favor, 25 against, one abstention, and five absences—following its passage in the Chamber the prior week. The bill modifies penalty calculations for crimes against the Democratic Rule of Law, such as prohibiting penalty accumulation for coup d'état and violent abolition of the state (applying only the larger penalty plus one-sixth to half), reducing sentences by one-third to two-thirds in crowd contexts without leadership, easing regime progression to one-sixth served, and allowing home regime remission via work or study. This could shorten Bolsonaro's 27-year STF sentence and benefit January 8 defendants who stormed Brasília's Three Powers headquarters.
Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann condemned the move as 'disrespect to the STF' and confirmed President Lula's veto intent, stressing accountability for democracy attackers. Government Senate leader Jaques Wagner allowed the vote despite opposition, deeming it an 'absurdity.'
Opposition figures celebrated: Deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) hailed regained 'justice' and override potential via Chamber majority; Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) called it a 'first step'; Senator Damares Alves (PL-DF) predicted 'great liberation.' PT Chamber leader Lindbergh Farias plans an STF writ, arguing Senate changes require Chamber re-review. Critics like Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL) accused it of masking the coup attempt.
