The Bolsonaro video was posted online but later removed two days after the violent storming of the president, Congress and the Supreme Court.
The PGR explained that even though the video appeared after the mutiny, it could serve as “a possible connection” that warrants a “global investigation into the acts committed by the defendants before and after January 8, 2023”.
In a note seen by AFP on Friday, Bolsonaro’s defense denied any involvement by the former president.
Blaming the violence on “infiltrators”, Bolsonaro “never had any connection or involvement in these movements,” the note said.
Bolsonaro had for years sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Brazil’s internationally acclaimed election system, and suggested he would not accept defeat.
He never publicly acknowledged Lula’s victory, and left for the United States – where he lives – two days before the inauguration.