Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes
has given former President Jair Bolsonaro 48 hours to explain why he spent two nights in the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia between February 12 and 14
.
Moraes is the rapporteur in the case on the alleged coup attempt in which the former right-wing leader, whose passport was seized at the beginning of last month, is also said to be involved.
Bolsonaro's entry into the diplomatic headquarters was revealed by the New York Times, which disclosed images of the video surveillance circuit inside the building.
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry has meanwhile summoned the Hungarian ambassador in Brasilia, Miklós Halmai, for consultations.
According to journalistic rumours, Halmai acted "with the endorsement" of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, of whom Bolsonaro is a close political ally.
Jair Bolsonaro criticized the summons by Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes.
"Is it a crime to sleep in an embassy and talk to the ambassador?" said the former right-wing leader at the end of an event in honor of his wife, the former first lady Michelle, who was awarded the title of honorary citizen of São Paulo.
"Enough with the persecutions, give us some peace", he then added, speaking briefly to journalists.
Yesterday, the deputy of President Lula's Workers' Party (Pt, left), Lindbergh Farias, sent an urgent arrest request to the authorities against Bolsonaro, accusing him of wanting to evade justice by asking for political asylum to escape a possible conviction for an alleged attempt to coup.
Mystery over Bolsonaro's two days in the Hungarian embassy
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is reportedly seeking international support from other far-right leaders in an attempt to escape justice in his country.
According to the US newspaper New York Times, this would be the basis of the mysterious stay of the former Brazilian head of state at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia between 12 and 14 February, just four days after the seizure of his passport ordered by Supreme Court as part of the investigation into the attempted coup d'état of 8 January 2023. The visit - documented by the NYT with the publication of images from the video surveillance cameras of the diplomatic headquarters - "suggests that the former Brazilian head of state was trying to exploit his friendship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in an attempt to circumvent his country's judicial system", where he is the subject of numerous investigations that could potentially lead to his arrest.
Faced with the evidence, Bolsonaro admitted the circumstance.
"I don't deny that I was at the embassy. I maintain a circle of friends made up of some heads of state around the world. They are worried. I talk to them about issues that affect our country. But the rest is speculation," he told the portal Metropolis.
Furthermore, the two conservative politicians have maintained a close friendship for years.
During an official visit to Hungary in 2022 Bolsonaro called Orban his "brother", while at their last meeting in Argentina for the inauguration of President Javier Milei, Orban called Bolsonaro a "hero".
The relationship is so solid that on the day in which the federal police seized Bolsonaro's passport, searched the homes of his former ministers and arrested some of his former collaborators, Orban was the only one to show solidarity with the Brazilian, publishing a photo of his two on social networks and encouraging him to "keep fighting".
The specter of prison for Bolsonaro has long raised speculation that he might try to escape abroad.
As soon as the journalistic investigation by the New York Times was published, Democratic Party deputy Lindbergh Farias announced to ANSA that he will immediately send a request for Bolsonaro's arrest, given the increasingly concrete danger of flight.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA