Because there was insufficient proof that former president Jair Bolsonaro was attempting to avoid prosecution, the Brazilian Supreme Court judge dropped the case against him for his two-day visit to the Hungarian embassy.
When it became known that Bolsonaro had visited the embassy in February, it raised questions. Days earlier, authorities had seized his passport as part of their probe into whether the far-right former president had participated in a coup plot to maintain his position of power in the event of his loss in the 2022 election.
In his ruling on Wednesday, Judge Alexandre de Moraes stated, “There is no concrete evidence effectively indicating that the accused intended to seek diplomatic asylum to flee the country and escape criminal investigation.”
In the months leading up to the October 2022 election, which culminated in Bolsonaro supporters storming the state’s capitol a week after leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration, the former president and members of his inner circle are accused of plotting to undermine Brazil’s election system and hold onto power.
Bolsonaro, according to police, changed a draft decree that would have imposed new elections, proclaimed a state of emergency, and ordered the arrest of Moraes, the lead judge in several cases involving the former president.
Targeting Bolsonaro and his inner circle, police conducted raids on February 8; as a result, three persons were arrested and the former president’s passport was seized.
After Bolsonaro’s stay at the Hungarian embassy from February 12 to 14 was made public by The New York Times in March, there was a separate probe into allegations that he tried to evade the law.
Bolsonaro claims he is being persecuted for his political beliefs and refutes all of the allegations.
The purpose of his embassy visit, according to his attorneys, was to preserve cordial relations with Hungary and his “good relationship” with far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
