The former president () has a history of flirting with political asylum, although his defense and the politician himself have already denied this possibility. The episodes are public about the theme last November, stay at the Embassy of, in February 2024, and a trip to the United States after losing the presidential elections.
According to an investigation from the revealed on Wednesday (20), Bolsonaro directed to, president of. The document would enable its departure from Brazil and was created after the outbreak of investigations into the attempt of a 2022 coup.
The letter with the asylum request is cited in the report in which (PL-SP) on suspicion of obstruction of the trial of the coup plot, ongoing the Supreme Court (STF) and expected to be held from the 2nd.
The document was saved on the former president on February 10, 2024, two days after the Operation Tempus Veritatis was laid down, when Bolsonaro’s passport was determined.
If convicted at the trial on charges of leading the coup plot to prevent Lula’s inauguration (PT), Bolsonaro could take more than 40 years in prison, and increase his ineligibility, which currently runs until 2030.
Prior to the PF indictment in the investigation investigating the obstruction of justice, the former president to avoid arrest in an interview with UOL in November, days after being indicted by the PF on suspicion of attempted coup.
“Embassy, from what I see in the history of the world, who is persecuted, can go there,” he said at the time. “If I should something, I would be in the United States, I wouldn’t have come back.”
Questioned in March by SheetHis defense denied that Bolsonaro has, with the sentence, admitted the possibility. “On the contrary, he said if he wanted to escape, he would have been in the US,” he said. “So the asylum is not a possibility. The president will remain in Brazil and respect the criminal proceedings.” The former president himself also denied the possibility that he would request the asylum to escape the law.
In February 2024, Bolsonaro spent two days at the Hungary embassy in. The stay was four days after the PF retained its passport due to investigations involving the attempted coup.
The politician stated that the intention was not to ask for asylum, but dialogue with international authorities. The PF opened an investigation to investigate the episode, but the minister of Alexandre de Moraes for lack of evidence that the former president tried the asylum.
Already in the former Mandanician for participation in the coup plot, the PF signaled that Bolsonaro would have traveled to the US after losing the 2022 elections to make it difficult to locate and eventual law enforcement.
The asylum can be requested by anyone who considers himself a political persecuted, even if the case is not, in fact, the case. To occur, it is enough for the foreign embassy to accept the request.
In the meantime Brazilian institutions such as may apply for pre-trial detention in closed regime of the former president if, based on contemporary and concrete facts, they identify that Bolsonaro seeks to escape from justice.
The possibility of Bolsonaro reaching a foreign embassy to place the order, but decreased after the court determined that the politician used, from July 18, or maintain contacts with ambassadors and any foreign authorities.
The July decision spoke of “indications of the concrete possibility of escape from the defendant” and the need to ensure the application of criminal law.
After that, on August 4, the former president was imposed on house arrest for breaking down the previous precautionary, which further reduced the possibility of escape. If it is considered that he continues to fail to comply with court orders, prison at home can become preventive in closed regime, experts say.
