BRASILIA, June 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) on Thursday began a third day of hearings in a case against former president Jair Bolsonaro that could see him barred from political office for nearly a decade.
On Tuesday, Benedito Goncalves, the lead justice in the case, had voted to convict him for abuse of political power and misuse of the media.
Many in Brazil, including Bolsonaro, believe he is likely to be barred from office - a stunning turnaround for a figure who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man.
"Everyone seems to say that it's likely I'm going to be barred from office," he told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper in an interview.
Bolsonaro, who was not in court and flew to Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, does not risk jail in the TSE case.
Persons:
Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Justice Raul Araujo, Bolsonaro, Benedito Goncalves, Ricardo Brito, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Angus MacSwan
Organizations:
Brasilia, Folha, Paulo, Thomson
Locations:
BRASILIA, Brasilia, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro