BRASILIA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The defense team of former President Jair Bolsonaro filed an urgent request on Thursday with Brazil's highest court to reconsider the decision barring him from traveling to the U.S. to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
Bolsonaro's defense asserts that he has complied with all court-imposed measures and dismisses any suggestion of him attempting to flee.
Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court declined Bolsonaro's request to have his passport returned, as reported by Reuters.
Bolsonaro, designated ineligible to run for office until 2030 and facing criminal charges related to an alleged coup plot after his 2022 electoral loss, had his passport confiscated in February 2024 by Brazil's top court.
The right-wing politician, nicknamed the "Trump of the Tropics," who led the country from 2019 to 2022, disclosed that he was invited to Trump's inauguration and was endeavoring to reclaim his passport.
Legal analysts previously indicated that Bolsonaro's plea was unlikely to be granted due to ongoing legal proceedings and concerns that he may attempt to flee.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, in a decision on Thursday, mentioned a 2024 interview where Bolsonaro spoke of the prospect of seeking asylum to evade accountability in Brazil.
Bolsonaro, maintaining his innocence, stated in an interview with local outlet UOL, "those who feel persecuted can seek refuge in an embassy."