Brazil's Bolsonaro stayed two days in Hungarian embassy after passport seized

(Reuters) - Brazil's farright former President Jair Bolsonaro stayed for two nights at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia last month, just days after federal police confiscated his passport and arrested two former aides on suspicion of plotting a coup, Bolsonaro's lawyer said yesterday.

Bolsonaro's Feb. 12-14 stay at the Hungarian embassy was first reported by the New York Times based on security camera footage from inside the embassy.

The episode raises questions about the former president's plans as he faces multiple criminal investigations in Brazil, with several members of his inner circle already in jail. Brazilian police would not be able to arrest a politician staying at a foreign embassy.

Bolsonaro's lawyer Fabio Wajngarten said on social media that the expresident spent two days housed in the Hungarian embassy "to maintain contact with officials of the friendly country" and "get updates on the political landscape of both nations".

"Any other interpretations that go beyond the information provided here are clearly fictional, unrelated to the reality of the facts and are, in practice, just another piece of fake news," Wajngarten wrote.

On Monday evening, Brazil's foreign ministry summoned Hungary's ambassador to clarify the reasons behind Bolsonaro's stay at the embassy.

The Hungarian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times said Bolsonaro's lawyer had declined to comment on their report, but a Hungarian embassy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the plan to host the former president.

Bolsonaro has good relations with fellow farright leader, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Bolsonaro called Orban his "brother" during a 2022 visit to Hungary and the two met this year in Buenos Aires during the inauguration of Argentina's new right-wing President Javier Milei.