Court denies Bolsonaro's request for passport return to travel to Israel

Brazil's Supreme Court has denied a request by former president Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers that his passport be returned to him so that he can travel to Israel, according to an official document released here.

Bolsonaro's lawyers said in a statement on Thursday that Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had invited Bolsonaro to an event in May, and requested the Supreme Court to restore his passport.

It is absolutely premature to remove the restriction imposed on the investigated person, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes wrote in his decision, which was in line with a recommendation from the prosecutor general's office cited by Moraes.

Bolsonaro's passport was taken, precisely, to prevent him from leaving the country, given the danger to the development of criminal investigations and the possible application of criminal law, the prosecutor general's office said earlier in its opinion.

Federal Police seized Bolsonaro's passport in February during a raid related to an investigation into whether he and top aides plotted to ignore the 2022 election results and stage an uprising to keep the defeated leader in power. Bolsonaro lost the election to his rival and successor, Luiz Incio Lula da Silva.

The attorneys submitted Bolsonaro's request to the Supreme Court on Monday, the same day The New York Times published security camera footage revealing that the former president spent two nights at Hungary's embassy in Brasilia, just days after the far-right leader lost his passport.

The revelation of Bolsonaro's stay sparked widespread speculation he may have been attempting to evade arrest, as agents would not have jurisdiction to enter embassy grounds due to diplomatic conventions restricting access.

Bolsonaro's lawyers denied that was his intent, saying in a separate statement it was illogical to think he was seeking asylum or avoiding authorities. The stay formed part of his political agenda with the Hungarian government, with whom he has well-known alignment, the statement said.

In his petition to the Supreme Court for authorization to travel to Israel from May 12 to 18, Bolsonaro's lawyers had said the proposed trip wouldn't jeopardize the ongoing legal processes he faces, as he had scheduled appointments after the planned date of return.

The request didn't specify which event Bolsonaro had hoped to attend, but the proposed period coincided with Israel's Independence Day.