A judge has ordered the release of former President of Brazil Lula da Silva from his jail. It follows a decision of the Supreme Court ruling that convicts are to be jailed only after exhausting all their appeal options.
On Friday, the judge accepted the request filed by the ex-president’s defense team, authorizing him to leave jail. Da Silva will now be able to stay out of prison until his appeal process continues.
Brazil has a four-level appeal system, while the former president has only gone through two of them. In both instances he was found guilty of corruption and money laundering.
Lula supporters waiting for Lula outside of the federal prison. The judge approved his release. He should be leaving the building any minute #Brazil#LulaLivrepic.twitter.com/YCwyfxT0X7
The move follows the Thursday ruling by the county’s Supreme Court, which overturned in a 6-5 vote its own 2016 decision, which obliged convicted criminals to go to jail after they lose their first appeal. Now, the Court decided such a provision to be non-constitutional, since the country’s basic law says no one can be considered guilty until due process is over.
Aqui a decisão completa do juiz Danilo Pereira Júnior, determinando a soltura do ex-presidente Lula. pic.twitter.com/Eqp1Nj618r
Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, who was Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010, was slapped with a 12-year jail term as a result of a probe into an alleged massive corruption scheme, commonly known as the ‘Car Wash.’ The socialist icon has always maintained his innocence, vehemently rejecting all the accusations as politically-motivated.
In April this year, Lula’s term was reduced to eight years and 10 months.
