Brazil’s defeated Flávio Bolsonaro ordered to surrender passports after election loss

Travel ban and passport order

A ruling by a supreme court judge barred Flávio Bolsonaro from leaving Brazil and required him to surrender his passports within 24 hours. The order covers all his passports, including the diplomatic document he holds as a congressman.

In a social media video, Bolsonaro said he had just visited his father in Brasília, where Jair Bolsonaro is under house arrest. He said federal police were waiting at his home and served him with the order.

Brother’s interview cited

Bolsonaro said the decision referred to an interview his brother Eduardo gave the previous Friday. Eduardo had urged him to leave Brazil if he lost the election. The ruling also made reference to a money-laundering case. The article does not provide further details about that case.

Defeat remains disputed

Flávio Bolsonaro has not conceded his loss to Lula, following a pattern seen when his father lost the presidential election four years earlier. He had claimed that extending voting by two hours harmed the election.

The extension was intended to help voters who could not access mandatory free public transport reach polling stations. Bolsonaro’s own campaign had also called for more time to vote.

Another legal challenge planned

Bolsonaro had not publicly withdrawn his demand to annul the election. In the video, he said he would bring another case seeking to disqualify Lula’s ticket over alleged abuse of economic power.

The planned case resembles other legal challenges his team brought during the campaign. When his Senate term ends early next year, he will leave public office for the first time in 24 years and lose the special jurisdiction given to officeholders.