(Reuters) – Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, known for his far-right views, sought refuge at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia for two nights last month following the confiscation of his passport and the arrest of two former aides on suspicion of planning a coup, his lawyer revealed on Monday.
The stay at the Hungarian embassy from Feb. 12-14 was first reported by the New York Times, which obtained security camera footage from inside the embassy depicting Bolsonaro’s presence.
This incident has raised concerns about Bolsonaro’s intentions as he confronts various criminal investigations in Brazil that have already led to the imprisonment of several members of his inner circle. It is noted that Brazilian authorities do not have the jurisdiction to apprehend a politician staying at a foreign embassy.
According to Bolsonaro’s lawyer Fabio Wajngarten, the former president stayed at the Hungarian embassy for two days “to maintain contact with officials of the friendly country” and to “receive updates on the political landscape of both nations”.
Wajngarten dismissed any notions beyond this explanation as fabrications, emphasizing that they do not align with the actual events and are essentially fake news.
Although the Hungarian embassy did not provide an immediate comment on the situation, the New York Times reported that Bolsonaro’s lawyer did not refute their account. An official from the Hungarian embassy, speaking anonymously, did confirm the arrangement to host the former president.
Bolsonaro has cultivated a strong relationship with another far-right leader, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The two leaders have expressed admiration for each other, with Bolsonaro referring to Orban as his “brother” when he visited Hungary in 2022, and the two met again this year in Buenos Aires.
Authorities confiscated Bolsonaro’s passport on Feb. 8, alleging that he tampered with a draft decree aimed at overturning the outcome of the 2022 election, pressured military officials to support a coup, and conspired to detain a Supreme Court justice.
In a separate ruling last year, a Brazilian court decided that Bolsonaro is not eligible to run for political office until 2030 due to disseminating false information during the 2022 election campaign.
Recently, former heads of Brazil’s army and air force confirmed that Bolsonaro had discussed the draft decree to impede the transfer of power following the election. Additionally, on March 19, federal police accused him of falsifying his vaccination records, potentially leading to criminal charges.
(Reporting by Steven Grattan in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes and Nia Williams)
