Rio De Janeiro – Brazil’s Supreme Court of Justice has denied 143 lawsuits file by private citizens seeking to free ex-President Luiz da Silva from jail.
According to a statement, the court’s President Laurita Vaz said the suits lacked the “appropriate legal
basis” to proceed, although she acknowledged everyone had the right to file a “habeas corpus” motion.
NAN reports that“ habeas corpus” is Latin, meaning literally “that you have the body” is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, to bring the prisoner to court.
“The judicial branch must not serve as (a) counter for complaints of a political or ideological nature,”
Vaz added.
All suits asked Lula to be allowed to appeal his 12-year-and-one-month sentence for corruption as a free
man.
The two-time former president has been serving the sentence since April at a federal police holding facility
in Curitiba, capital of southern Parana state.
His imprisonment appears to have derailed his plans to run for a third term in the October elections,
though his appeal process continues.
Lula was convicted of accepting bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in the form of a luxury
beachfront apartment, and in return granting the company public works contracts.
He denies the charges, calling them politically motivated to prevent him from running again.
Controversy surrounds his legal case. On Sunday, federal judges issued contradictory rulings, with one
calling for his immediate release in the morning and another ordering late in the day that he remain
in jail.
