Supreme Court Will Judge the Annulment of the Sentences against Lula

[Judi Lynn]

Justices rejected defense request for the case to be analyzed by the Second Panel, which has a profile contrary to Lava Jato

Apr.15.2021 2:02PM

Marcelo Rocha

BRASÍLIA
The Supreme Court decided to maintain the trial that threw out condemnations against former President Lula (PT) in the court plenary.

By 9 to 2, the Justices rejected the petitioner's defense request for the matter to be analyzed by the Second Panel, which is made up of five magistrates and has a profile contrary to Lava Jato.

With that, the merit of the decision of Justice Edson Fachin to invalidate the lawsuits against Lula that originated in the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba should be discussed by the plenary as of this Thursday (15).

If the de Fachin judgement sticks, Lula will be granted his political rights and will be able to run in the 2022 elections.

Justices Edson Fachin, Luís Roberto Barroso, Alexandre de Moraes, Kassio Nunes Marques, Rosa Weber, Dias Toffoli, Cármen Lúcia, Gilmar Mendes and Luiz Fux voted to keep the topic in plenary. Ricardo Lewandowski and Marco Aurélio diverged.

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2021/04/justices-decide-to-maintain-the-trial-that-invalidated-condemnations-against-lula-in-the-court-plenary.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

1. Brazil's Supreme Court confirms decision to annul Lula convictions

April 15, 2021
6:13 PM CDT
Americas
Reuters Ricardo Brito

2 minutes read

A majority of Brazil's Supreme Court confirmed on Thursday a decision to annul criminal convictions against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, teeing up a presidential run against current President Jair Bolsonaro in 2022.

The decision, which was widely expected, came after Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin determined in early March that the lower federal court where Lula was tried lacked jurisdiction, a ruling that was quickly appealed by Brazil's top prosecutor. read more

Lula, 75, governed Latin America's biggest country and largest economy between 2003 and 2011, overseeing a commodities boom that turbocharged economic growth.

In 2018, he was convicted of taking bribes from engineering firms in return for public contracts and spent a year and a half behind bars, until the Supreme Court ruled he and others could appeal their cases without serving time.

More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-supreme-court-confirms-decision-annul-lula-convictions-2021-04-15/