A Brazilian court on Wednesday upheld the the conviction of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a corruption case, and added two-and-a-half years to his sentence, Reuters reported. Silva can still move Brazil’s apex appeals court or Supreme Court against the court’s ruling and salvage his plans to contest the presidential election.
The case is part of a massive investigation centred on state-owned oil company Petrobras, which has led to several convictions.
The court upheld the convictions on bribe-taking and corruption against the 72-year-old former president, which could make him ineligible to contest future elections under the country’s “Ficha Limpa” or “Clean Record” law. The law prohibits candidates whose convictions have been upheld by an appellate court from registering in the polls.
The former president remains free until future appeals. “I want the judges to know that I am not worried like they think I should be,” Lula said. “They cannot jail ideas or hope.”
Silva can still participate in the polls if he registers his candidacy by the August 15 deadline and manages to delay the Supreme Court’s ruling by making further appeals against his 12-year sentence.
The ruling triggered protests across the country with protesters setting fire to tyres and blocking streets in Porto Alegre and São Paulo, The Guardian reported.
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