Brazil: Former President Jair Bolsonaro in More Legal Trouble After Staying at the Hungarian Embassy During Investigations
Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro may soon also be investigated for evading arrest as the Supreme Court of Brazil is demanding answers as to why he stayed at the Hungarian Embassy for two nights at the height of the investigations during his attempted coup. It is noted that Bolsonaro is friends with Hungary's autocrat Viktor Orban.
The Brazil Supreme Court has now ordered the former president to explain why he slept there when investigations were taking place. Should an arrest warrant have been issued against Bolsonaro, Brazilian authorities would not have been able to take him in, as the Hungarian Embassy is considered Hungarian territory.
Brazilian police are now also looking into whether or not he violated earlier court orders when he stayed at the embassy, which happened soon after authorities confiscated both his Brazilian and Italian passports after he was deemed a flight risk.
These latest developments stemmed from a New York Times investigation that revealed that Bolsonaro did try to hide at the Hungarian Embassy, with the outlet obtaining CCTV footage of him arriving and staying there.
As the New York Times noted, this just adds to the myriad of legal cases that the right-wing leader is facing, with the most serious being his attempted coup to oust President Lula and become president again after losing to his rival during the October 2022 election.
Bolsonaro admitted to staying at the embassy, but Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes stated that public admission was not enough and gave the former president just 48 hours to explain why he stayed there.
Jair Bolsonaro Lawyers Insist Former Brazil President Did Nothing Wrong with Hungarian Embassy Stay
As expected, Bolsonaro continued to deny any wrongdoing regarding his stay at the Hungarian Embassy, even though many of his critics believe he was trying to evade arrest at the height of the investigation into his plotting of a coup.
READ MORE: Jair Bolsonaro Under Probe for Allegedly Harassing a Humpback Whale May Be Fined 2,500 Reais ($500)
"In the days he was at the Hungarian embassy, by invitation, the former Brazilian president spoke to countless authorities from the friendly country for updates on the political scenarios of both nations," Bolsonaro attorneys said in a statement. "Any other interpretations ... constitute an evidently fictional work, with no connection to the reality of the facts."
During a recent rally, Bolsonaro doubled down on this argument, claiming that he often speaks with Hungary President Viktor Orban about various topics, including politics.
Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's Legal Woes
The New York Times report came out a week after Bolsonaro was indicted over allegations of falsifying COVID-19 vaccination data while he was still president, according to CNN.
However, the former Brazilian president, also known as the "Trump of the Tropics," also faces a myriad of legal problems, including his involvement in the January 8 riot, his plot to orchestrate a coup which was only prevented after leaders of the Army and Air Force did not commit to it, and even harassing a humpback whale while on vacation.
READ MORE: Trials for Jair Bolsonaro Supporters Begin Over the January 8 Riots
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Former Brazil President Bolsonaro Hid at Hungary Embassy to Evade Legal Hassles - Firstpost
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