The passports of Brazilian senator and former presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro have been revoked after he failed to hand them over to the Federal Police by the deadline. The decision was made after a Supreme Court order barring Bolsonaro from leaving the country.
The order was issued by Judge Alexandre de Moraes and is related to an investigation into suspected money laundering. Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing. According to information cited by the BBC, he was supposed to hand over his passports within 24 hours, but he did not report to the police.
The Federal Police have revoked both his ordinary and diplomatic passports. The documents were canceled in the system without being physically handed over by the politician.
Whereabouts unknown
Flavio Bolsonaro's whereabouts remain unknown. There is no official record of him leaving Brazil through a regular border crossing. Argentine authorities have also denied having any information that he entered the country.
Speculation about his possible escape began after he lost the presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In a published video, Bolsonaro said:
„I never said I would flee the country.“
The case is developing against the backdrop of Bolsonaro's disputed political defeat and his stated intention to remain at the head of the opposition. It has not yet been announced whether the prosecution will request additional measures due to the failure to comply with the court order.
Sources: bbc.com, investing.com, rte.ie