SAO PAULO -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro granted a pardon to a recently convicted ally on Thursday night, prompting criticism from opponents who argue the president is overstepping his constitutional limits and disrespecting the Supreme Court once again.

        On Wednesday, Brazil's Supreme Court found congressman Daniel Silveira guilty of encouraging violent attacks on the court's judges and other officials by a vote of 10 to 1. He was also deprived of his congressional seat and forbidden from standing for any office in the next elections in October.

        During a live broadcast, Bolsonaro stated that his choice is "essential for the nation to go on the pathways established by the constitution." The Brazilian president stated, "Freedom of speech is a vital pillar of our society." His decree later stated that Silveira had been wrongfully convicted.

        Silveira's supporters have frequently requested the president to defend him from what they regard as political persecution. Since taking office in January 2019, the president has had a tumultuous relationship with the Supreme Court's justices. He has recently targeted people who also head the country's highest electoral body, saying that the Brazilian electronic voting system is manipulated without providing any evidence.

        In early surveys, Bolsonaro is lagging former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and many politicians and observers believe that his clashes with the judiciary and electoral institutions indicate that if he loses, he would refuse to concede the race. "Bolsonaro has just turned the system of pardons into an institutional embarrassment," said Ciro Gomes, who came in third with less than 10% of the vote. "He's attempting to speed up his march toward a coup. He will not, however, be successful."

        Gomes and other legislators have pledged to appeal Bolsonaro's order to the Supreme Court, alleging that the president cannot make such a decision solely on personal interests.