Brazilian court denies Bolsonaro's request to travel to Trump's inauguration

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, left, and Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto attend a ceremony honoring military athletes who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File)

SAO PAULO — Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday denied a request by former President Jair Bolsonaro to temporarily restore his passport so that he could attend the inauguration in Washington of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump next week.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who Bolsonaro frequently has called his personal foe, said in the ruling that Bolsonaro currently holds no position that would allow him to represent Brazil at the event and that the former president did not adequately prove to the court that he had been invited.

Bolsonaro, under several wide-ranging investigations including over an alleged attempt to stay in office despite his electoral defeat, had his passport seized by federal police last February because he was considered a flight risk.

His lawyers say he has a signed letter from the inauguration co-chairs.