Jair Bolsonaro Must Explain His Stay at the Hungarian Embassy

On Monday, the Brazilian Supreme Court of Justice gave former President Jair Bolsonaro 48 hours to explain his two-day stay at the Hungarian embassy shortly after Federal Police confiscated his passport.

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The decision was made by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading the investigations into the attempted coup against President Lula da Silva that occurred in January 2023.

Previously, the New York Times published an article pointing out that Bolsonaro took refuge between February 12 and 14 in the Hungarian Embassy in Brasilia. This happened four days after the Federal Police launched an operation against him and his closest circle for the coup attempt.

The images from the security cameras show the far-right politician inside the embassy, accompanied by two escorts and Hungarian diplomats, among whom was Ambassador Miklos Halmai.

Bolsonaro's lawyers claimed that he spent two days staying at the embassy as a guest and talking about politics. They denied that the former Capitan had tried to request asylum.

The text reads, "We cannot fool ourselves! Bolsonaro did not hide in the Hungarian embassy just because he is a coward. Journalist Jamil Chade recalls that the far-right keeps a global offensive against many democracies: 'Extremist groups in Brazil, Europe, and the U.S. support each other and adopt similar positions in international debates, copying slogans and action methods.' That is why we cannot give any kind of forgiveness to those responsible for Bolsonaro's coup attempt. The democratic world closely follows how Brazil confronts extremism. It is time to be even tougher against the enemies of democracy. No amnesty!"

On Monday, the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry called diplomat Halmai for consultations to explain Bolsonaro's stay in his embassy.

After a police operation carried out on February 8 against the coup plotters, the Brazilian authorities imposed a series of precautionary measures on Bolsonaro to prevent him from escaping the country and not being held accountable before justice. Among those measures was the confiscation of his passport.

The judges also prohibited the far-right politician from having contact with other people investigated in the coup case. Although Bolsonaro only appears as another investigator in this case, his judicial future became complicated after the testimonies of Generals Marco Antonio Freire Gomes and Carlos Baptista Junior.

In statements before the Federal Police, they revealed that Bolsonaro and his closest advisors invited them to support a coup d'état plan, which included intervening in the Superior Electoral Court, decreeing a 'State of Siege,' and arresting judges and the president of the Congress.