Former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022)
asked the Supreme Federal Court, Brazil's highest court, for the return of his passport
, confiscated last Thursday during an operation by the Federal Police in the case of the preparation of a coup d'état that sought the annulment of the 2022 presidential elections, in which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won.
Lawyer Paulo Cunha Buena, lawyer of the former president, submitted the request to Supreme Judge Alexandre de Moraes, in charge of the processes in which Bolsonaro, his former ministers are being investigated and for which
three people were detained, two soldiers and a former advisor of The presidency.
"The decision is absurd, given that the president never gave any indication that he was going to escape, always appearing at every summons to testify. Quite the contrary, when he went to Argentina for the inauguration of President Javier Milei, I myself "I took the precaution of notifying the court, demonstrating that Bolsonaro always respected the ongoing investigations," the lawyer told the
GloboNews news channel.
As a counterattack against the investigations into the coup attempt plotted by his closest core, the former president
called his followers to a demonstration on February 25 on Paulista Avenue.
A police operation to investigate the existence of a criminal organization that would have attempted a coup d'état on January 8, 2023. Photo Xinhua
The organization of the event in São Paulo is in charge of Silas Malafaia, a far-right evangelical pastor from Rio de Janeiro who is one of the main advisors of the far-right leader.
The former president assured that it will be a "peaceful demonstration",
in "defense of the democratic rule of law
", and in which he intends to "defend himself from all the accusations" and suspicions that weigh against him in relation to the coup plot of January 2023.
According to the investigation,
Bolsonaro participated in the preparation of a draft about a self-coup
to ignore the elections won by Lula in November 2022.
It is the most critical moment of the seven processes opened against the former president, who
was disqualified in 2023 by the electoral justice system from participating in elections until 2030
for having publicly launched a campaign questioning the electoral system using State resources when he was president.
Judge Moraes, in addition to ordering the delivery of Bolsonaro's passport, prohibited the former president from having contact with other people under investigation.
Legally, Bolsonaro can leave without a passport only to countries bordering Brazil, using the RG document, as the Brazilian DNI is known.
Source: EFE and Télam
P.B.