Brazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, could soon be jailed after the supreme court denied a request to allow him to remain free while appealing against a 12-year conviction for corruption charges.
The ruling in the early hours of Thursday marked an extraordinary turn of events for Brazil’s most popular politician, who left office in 2010 with an approval rating of more than 80%.
Supreme court judges ruled against him by six to five after a marathon session. The decision could end Lula’s political career, and deepen divisions in the country, which has been racked by recent episodes of political violence.
Lula has said he is innocent and the charges are politically motivated to prevent him from running for president again in the October election. In an official statement, his Worker’s party described the ruling as: “a tragic day for democracy and Brazil”. The case against him is part of Brazil’s sprawling “Car Wash” investigation, which has jailed dozens of top executives and politicians.
Lula oversaw a period of sustainable economic growth, and his social policies helped lift millions of people out of poverty. He was leading opinion polls ahead of the election, despite his conviction and six separate pending corruption trials.
Recently, however, Lula became a more polarising figure as the economy struggled and multiple corruption allegations against him and his leftist party emerged, creating widespread anger amongst the electorate. According to the polling institute Datafolha, 53% want him jailed.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
