They postpone the revision of the doctrine applied to Lula …

The President of the Supreme Court of Brazil announced yesterday the postponement of next Tuesday's discussions on a change of jurisprudence that could lead to the release of the former president of the left, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is serving a sentence of prison of 12 years and a month. .

The question is related to the maintenance of the rule which determines the beginning of the execution of a sentence after a conviction in the second case. This standard was adopted in 2016 by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by a small margin of 6 votes to 5, but some judges want to see it again in the name of the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence.

In case of review, the suspects would have the right to exhaust all available judicial remedies (third instance and STF).

The postponement of the debates planned for Tuesday, April 10 has been communicated by the president of the STF, Dias Toffoli, who has not set a new date. Toffoli responded to a request from the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), which, due to a recent address change, requested additional time because it needs to study the process and in turn learn more. The OAB e is against the prison after conviction in second instance. There is still no information on a new trial date.

Lula, 73, was sentenced in July 2017 by trial judge Sérgio Moro to 9 ½ years in prison for allegedly receiving a three-story luxury apartment (triplex) in Guarujá, in the state of São Paulo, in exchange for promoting the interests of the OAS society in collaboration with Petrobras. According to the indictment, as the person responsible for the appointment of senior management of Petrobras, the former labor leader had played a role in the criminal plan of the so-called Lava Jato operation.

This corruption network has allowed large domestic companies to agree to share the multibillion-dollar Petrobras contracts, bribing politicians and employees of the state-owned company. Although it can never be proven that Lula owned or had purchased the triplex, Moro stated that in the absence of evidence, he was condemning it on the basis of his intimate convictions.

A court of appeal upheld the verdict of January 2018 and compounded the sentence of 12 years and 1 month imprisonment, which the former left-wing president (2003-2010) began serving on 7 April in a prison of Curitiba. Lula was the subject of a second conviction in February as part of the Lava Jato anti-corruption operation, this time at 12 years and 11 months. For the defenders, "Lula is the victim of a real lawsuit conducted by a toga agent (Moro) who misused legal files to politically persecute a citizen, seeking to cancel, one by one, his freedoms and rights. " Lula believes that all charges against him in this and other proceedings are unfounded and that they are aimed solely at preventing the return of the Workers Party (PT) to power.

Next Sunday, April 7, we celebrate a year of the arrest of Lula. In this context, popular movements and political organizations in Brazil and around the world are preparing activities to demand their release. Under the slogan "International Lula Day Free", activities and demonstrations will be held in more than 16 countries, including Brazil, which will run throughout the week and until April 10th.

According to the organizers, "the demonstrations inside and outside Brazil will denounce the political character of the prison of the former President Lula". "The defamatory and unjust process of which Lula is the victim arouses outrage in Brazil and in other countries," said the Lula Libre Committee in a statement, stating that the case of the former president was still being badyzed by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UN).

"We plan to organize two major national events, an event in Curitiba with leaders, a cultural activity and a religious ceremony on the 7th in front of the headquarters of the Federal Police. [donde Lula está detenido]; and an act in São Paulo the same day, aimed at bringing together people who consider Lula prison to be unfair and arbitrary, "said Lula Libre campaign coordinator Igor Felippe. organize more activities in solidarity with Lula and in defense of democracy.