Dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics" after his political idol Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has been the target of multiple investigations since his turbulent years as Brazil's president from 2019 to 2022.

The investigation that led to Bolsonaro being charged yielded a dossier of nearly 900 pages.

Prosecutors say he was aware of a plot to seek a "correction" of the 2022 election outcome, and even plans to assassinate Lula, his deputy Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes—an arch rival and one of the judges in the current case.

The alleged plot did not come to fruition due to a lack of support from the army high command, according to prosecutors.

'They will kill me'

Investigations have also linked Bolsonaro to the disturbances of January 8, 2023, when thousands of his backers stormed the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court demanding the military oust Lula a week after his inauguration.

Bolsonaro was in the United States at the time, and denies any involvement. The former president cannot be held responsible, his lawyer Celso Vilsardi told the court Tuesday, as he "did not participate" in the riots "on the contrary, he repudiated them."

Bolsonaro in a podcast Monday insisted "I am innocent," adding: "I have no doubt that in 30 days at the most, they will kill me," without specifying who he was talking about.

Bolsonaro has been disqualified from holding public office until 2030 for having sought to cast doubt on Brazil's electronic voting system, but is hopeful the ban will be overturned.

"For the moment, I am a candidate" for elections in 2026, the former president declared this month.

He has compared his situation to that of Trump, who returned to the White House this year despite his own legal troubles, and after a similar storming of the US Capitol by his own supporters in January 2021.

In an interview with the Financial Times, published Tuesday, Bolsonaro claimed Brazil "needs support from abroad" as it had become "a real dictatorship."

Moraes and four other judges are considering whether there is enough evidence to try the ex-president and seven alleged core co-conspirators, including former ministers and a navy commander.

There are 34 accused in total.

Security at the Supreme Court in Brasilia had been beefed up for the first day of the hearing, broadcast live.

A decision could come Tuesday or Wednesday, the court has said.

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