Top court justice refuses to return Bolsonaro’s passport
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes denied former President Jair Bolsonaro’s request to travel to the US for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next Monday (Jan. 20).
In a decision published Thursday (16), Justice Moraes said the former president’s recent behavior indicates the possibility of an attempt to flee Brazil to avoid possible punishment.
He cited speeches by Bolsonaro and his son, federal representative Eduardo Bolsonaro, in support of the flight to Argentina of the people convicted of the January 8, 2023 attempted coup. Speeches on social media and statements published in the press were used to back up the ruling.
The justice also cited an interview given by the former president to the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper in November last year, in which he “considered the possibility of fleeing and requesting political asylum to avoid possible criminal liability in Brazil.” In the interview, Bolsonaro admits to seeking refuge in an embassy to avoid arrest.
The invitation
Last week, Bolsonaro’s defense requested that the Supreme Court authorize the return of his passport, seized in February 2024, so that he could travel to the US from January 17 and 22. The reason was to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington. Justice Moraes then asked for the invitation to be presented, which did not happen.
Bolsonaro’s passport was seized as part of Operation Tempus Veritatis, by the Federal Police, which are investigating an alleged criminal organization suspected of working to stage a coup d’état and abolish the democratic rule of law in Brazil with the aim of obtaining political advantages by keeping the former president in power.
