Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), concluded this Wednesday (24) that there is no evidence that former president Jair Bolsonaro would request asylum after staying for two days at the Hungarian Embassy, in Brasília, in February this year. Bolsonaro’s stay at the embassy was published by the newspaper The New York Times. 
When evaluating the case, Moraes argued that the former president did not violate the precautionary measure that prohibits him from leaving the country.
“There are no concrete elements that effectively indicate that the person being investigated intended to obtain diplomatic asylum to escape the country and, consequently, harm the ongoing criminal investigation”, stated the minister.
Moraes, however, maintained the seizure of the former president’s passport. The retention of the document and the ban on leaving the country were determined by the minister after Bolsonaro was the target of a search and seizure during Operation Tempus Veritatis, which investigates the attempted coup d’état in the country following the results of the 2022 elections.
“The factual situation remains unchanged, with no need to change the precautionary measures already determined,” wrote Moraes.
accommodation
Bolsonaro’s stay at the embassy was published by the newspaper The New York Times. The newspaper analyzed images from the site’s security cameras and satellite images, which show that he arrived on February 12th in the afternoon and left on the afternoon of February 14th.
The images show that the embassy was practically empty, except for some Hungarian diplomats who live there. According to the newspaper, the employees were on vacation and Bolsonaro’s stay took place during the Carnival holiday.
According to the report, on February 14, Hungarian diplomats contacted Brazilian employees, who were expected to return to work the following day, advising them to stay at home for the rest of the week.
Bolsonaro is an ally of the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, who attended the former president’s inauguration in 2018. In 2022, Bolsonaro visited Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and was received by Orbán. Both exchange constant public praise.
