Lawyers for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are denying speculation that their client may have been attempting to evade arrest when he stayed at the Hungarian embassy for two nights last month.
The New York Times reported Monday on its website that Bolsonaro stayed at the embassy between Feb. 12-14, highlighted by security camera video depicting Ambassador Miklós Halmai greeting the former president when he arrived at the embassy, Bolsonaro walking in the parking lot at various times, and ending with footage of him leaving the embassy.
His lawyers issued a statement late Monday saying Bolsonaro was invited to stay at the Hungarian embassy to maintain contacts with officials of “the friendly country” and to share “updates on the political situation of both nations.” They said any other interpretation about the visit is “fictional” in nature.
Bolsonaro is a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a fellow leader of a global far-right movement.
Bolsonaro’s stay at the embassy came days after investigators seized his passports and arrested two of his aides on suspicion they plotted to ignore his loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the 2022 presidential election and keep Bolsonaro in office.
Brazil’s foreign ministry summoned Halmai Monday night to explain why he hosted Balsonaro at the embassy.
The Associated Press is reporting that Brazil’s national police are investigating the event, while AFP says Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also serves as head of the electoral tribunal, has given Bolsonaro 48 hours to explain his stay at the Hungarian embassy.
Bolsonaro is the subject of several other investigations. Police have recommended he face criminal charges for allegedly falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination records, and he is accused of misappropriating gifts received from other nations, including jewelry offered by Saudi Arabia.
He has been barred from seeking public office for eight years for spreading false electoral information during the 2022 election.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.