Above Photo: Supporters of former Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shout slogans in front of his flat while the Supreme Court issues its final decision about his habeas corpus plea, in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil April 4, 2018. | Photo: Reuters
NOTE: Here is a statement of solidarity from the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity:
“I never thought that putting a plate of food on a poor man’s table would generate so much hatred from an elite that throw food away every day.” Lula
With stunned disbelief the world is observing the judicial, media and legislative lynching against Lula, the former president of Brazil and historical leader of the Workers’ Party.
The decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by a vote of 6-5, to not accept the appeal of Habeas Corpus presented by the Lula’s defense team, after a marathon trial of almost 10 hours, revived the nefarious day in which the usurper Temer overthrew the Dilma presidency.Once again the Globo news chain played a key role in the dictates of Washington by reproducing the threats of a coup by sectors of the Armed Forces of Brazil.
The unfounded accusation against Lula about his alleged ownership of a property given to him by a construction company as a governmental favor constitutes a plot of the worst kind. Something like this can only happen when the obscenity of the right, the judicial, the media and the legal apparatus became the executing arm of the oligarchy and imperialism to punish the people, their popular organizations and their main leaders.
This is the case of Lula, the beloved leader with the greatest popular weight in the history of Brazil. They are so afraid of him running as a candidate in the next elections that they made this judicial farce to disqualify him by condemning him to prison. They don’t want him physically anywhere near those elections.
The accusation and the trial is a gross lie, there is not a single piece of evidence to accuse him. In only 24 hours, this leader of Brazil could be imprisoned with a sentence of 12 years and a month.
We express our absolute repudiation of the rejection of Habeas Corpus that constitutes a violation of the right of every human being to the presumption of innocence, violating the Brazilian Constitution itself and the legality that they claim to defend with total cynicism.
They are the same ones who imposed the phony impeachment against Dilma to remove her from power, the same ones that abuse workers and give away the wealth of Brazil. They are the same ones who a couple of weeks ago assassinated the councilwoman Marielle Franco of the Socialism and Freedom Party for fighting and denouncing the harassment and police abuse in the favelas.
They are the same ones who threw stones and fired shots at two buses of Lula’s caravan just a few days ago. Although they appear before public opinion with the anti-corruption discourse, they are the same; they represent the face of fascism.
Let international solidarity become a strong yell in the permanent mobilization throughout the world to accompany the workers and the people of Brazil who are already mobilizing in the streets in support of Lula.
Let’s use all possible ways of denunciation in social media with the question: Where is the proof? With the hashtags: #LulaLibre #LulaCandidato #GolpeNuncaMas
All our solidarity is with Lula, the workers and the people of Brazil on this day of infamy.
The president of the Supreme Court broke what had been a tied vote, potentially ending Lula’s bid for re-election and sending him to jail.
Brazil‘s Supreme Court has voted 6-5 to deny former President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva habeas corpus while he appeals his corruption conviction, potentially bringing an end to his re-election campaign.
The popular leftist leader must now begin serving his 12-year prison sentence for taking bribes, denying his plea to remain free until he has exhausted all possible appeals.
Lula is still Brazil’s most popular politician, despite his conviction and fighting six separate pending corruption trials. He is the front-runner in all opinion polls for the presidential election in October, but his sentence will likely bar him from running.
The Supreme Court Justices deliberated for more than 10 hours before reaching their final verdict. It is as yet unclear how soon the arrest warrant will be handed down by Judge Sergio Moor.
While the hearing continued, protests broke out across Brazil, with tens of thousands of Lula’s supporters swamping streets in multiple cities.
Moro sentenced Lula in July 2017 to nine years in prison for the alleged crime of passive corruption and money laundering.
In January of this year, the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region (TRF-4), in Porto Alegre, ratified Judge Moro’s sentence and extended it to 12 years and one month in prison.
