Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Embassy Stay Amid Arrest Speculation

Brazil's Federal Police have initiated an inquiry into former President Jair Bolsonaro's brief stay at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia last month. This move comes amid suggestions from his adversaries that he might have been seeking to avoid arrest. The investigation was sparked by a report from The New York Times, which included security camera footage showing the Hungarian ambassador greeting Bolsonaro on February 12, along with other videos from his stay.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a prominent figure in the global far-right movement and a significant ally of Bolsonaro, was indirectly linked to the visit. This event occurred shortly after the Federal Police confiscated Bolsonaro's Brazilian and Italian passports and conducted raids on his top aides' residences. These actions were part of an investigation into allegations of plotting to disregard the 2022 election outcomes and orchestrating an uprising to maintain the defeated leader's power. Bolsonaro has consistently denied any misconduct related to this and other investigations targeting him.

According to diplomatic norms, should an arrest warrant be issued for Bolsonaro, Federal Police would not have the authority to enter the Hungarian embassy. In a statement released on Monday, Bolsonaro's legal team defended his embassy stay, stating it was by invitation and involved discussions with numerous authorities from Hungary about the political landscapes of both countries. They described any other interpretations as purely fictional and unrelated to the actual events.

During a gathering at his party's headquarters in Sao Paulo, Bolsonaro mentioned his ongoing communications with Orbán and expressed regret over not being able to travel to Israel due to the lack of a passport. Furthermore, Brazil's foreign ministry disclosed that it had summoned Hungary's ambassador Miklos Halmai for explanations regarding Bolsonaro's presence at the embassy.

In December 2022, just before his supporters attempted to overthrow President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro left for the US, where he stayed in South Florida for three months. This recent development has led some of Bolsonaro's political opponents to demand his arrest, suggesting that he is attempting to flee once again.

Alexandre Padilha, Lula's minister of institutional relations, highlighted Bolsonaro's previous stay in the US as evidence of his intent to escape. Meanwhile, Augusto de Arruda Botelho, a criminal lawyer and critic of Bolsonaro, argued on X (formerly Twitter) that seeking refuge in an embassy could be grounds for preventive detention—a scenario often discussed in legal education.