Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro ordered to face questioning over Jan 8 riots

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was on Friday (April 14) ordered to face questioning over the January 8 riots. Supporters of far-right Bolsonaro invaded and defaced the country's Congress, presidential palace, and the Supreme Court on January 8, protesting his defeat by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in last year's election. Over 1,800 people were arrested in the riots.

On Friday, Supreme Court judge Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled Jair Bolsonaro had to appear before the federal police within 10 days to answer questions over accusations he incited the rioters, the news agency AFP reported.

"I grant the request by the prosecutor general's office and determine the federal police must take Jair Messias Bolsonaro's testimony within a maximum of 10 days," Moraes wrote in the ruling.

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Earlier, Moraes ruled on January 13 that Bolsonaro be placed under investigation in the case. However, the Supreme Court judge postponed the ruling on a request by prosecutors for Bolsonaro to be questioned, as the former Brazilian president was in Florida, United States at the time.

Bolsonaro was in the US for three months after his defeat in the election and returned to Brazil on March 30. Prosecutors had asked for Bolsonaro to face questioning over a video he posted online two days after the riots, questioning the legitimacy of Lula's election. The video was later deleted.

The prosecutors, however, said their probe of Bolsonaro would not be limited to the video, but a "full investigation of all acts before and after January 8."
The former president has denied any involvement in the riots.

(With inputs from agencies)

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