Brazil Supreme Court Rules: Judge Biased on Lula's Case

By Mary Anne Webber (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Mar 24, 2021 05:03 AM EDT

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's former president, speaks during a press conference after convictions against him were annulled at the Sindicato dos Metalurgicos do ABC on March 10, 2021 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. Minister Edson Fachin, of the Federal Supreme Court, annulled on Monday the criminal convictions against former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the grounds that the city of Curitiba court did not have the authority to try him for corruption charges and he must be retried in federal courts in the capital, Brasilia. The decision means Lula regains his political rights and would be eligible to run for office in 2022. (Photo : Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

Brazil Supreme Court has also ruled that the former judge Sergio Moro was biased in the way he oversaw former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's corruption trial, according to The Guardian report.

Moro became one of Brazil's best-known public figures when he sentenced business and political leaders previously related to impunity.

"In this case what is discussed is something that for me is key: everyone has the right to a fair trial, due legal process, and the impartiality of the judge," Justice Carmen Lucia was quoted in a report.

Earlier this month, Brazil's High Court has dismissed Lula's corruption convictions, related to the huge bribery scandal known as Operation Car Wash.

Moro was accused by Lula and his supporters of conspiring against the popular president to keep him running in the 2018 presidential election. At the time, Lula was seen likely to win the election, according to a DW report.

The Supreme Court is now looking to set evidence in the cases, which derails the possibility of a quick retrial.

Lula co-founded the leftist Worker's Party in Brazil. He is known to have led the country to an economic boom from 2003 to 2010, removing millions from the poverty threshold.

Currently, Lula is likely to be the major challenge to right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro's reelection 2022. However, neither of them has confirmed their candidacy.

Presidency

Lula described the anti-corruption scheme in which he was convicted as the biggest judicial lie told in 500 years of the country's history, according to an Aljazeera report.

Renato Ribeiro de Almeida, a lawyer from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, said that if the presidential elections were held today, Lula could be a candidate for the position.

"However, for him to remain eligible, he would need to remain free of any convictions until the candidacy registration in August 2022. Until then, Lula may be convicted again," Almeida was quoted in a report.

Earlier this month, Lula said that he still has not made an absolute decision on whether he will run for the presidency in next year's presidential election.

He added that he would tour the country and speak with supporters before making a final decision on being a candidate for the presidential seat.

Lula said that if the moment comes for the 2022 candidacy to be discussed, it would be his pleasure to announce to the country that he is thinking about it.

However, as of now, he said that he has no time to think about the 2022 candidacy.

Meanwhile, Lula also attacked Bolsonaro during his speech for the current president's response to the pandemic and economy.

He told his supporters not to follow the president and calling Bolsonaro an "imbecile," according to another Aljazeera report.

Lula left the office with a high approval rating. However, his popularity declined in recent years as the country's economy slowed down and corruption scandals involved him and those around him.

WATCH: Brazil: Supreme Court judges clears Lula of corruption charges | Latest English News | World News - from WION

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