Lula Is Innocent. Free Him Now.
The evidence is now overwhelming — Lula was the victim of a politically motivated campaign to keep him from returning to power. He must be freed.
Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva gives a speech to supporters on March 18, 2016, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo by Victor Moriyama / Getty Images
The revelations uncovered about the case against former Brazilian president Lula da Silva, jailed in April last year, vindicate a year of campaigning for his freedom. But this isn’t just about Lula, the consequences of this miscarriage of justice are huge.
This last week the Intercept published a range of documents that show Lula’s conviction was politically motivated and aimed at stopping him running in the 2018 presidential election. With front-runner Lula out of the race (he was polling over double of his election rivals at the time of his arrest) far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro went on to win the election. Lula’s prosecuting Judge Sergio Moro was then appointed Minister of Justice.
Lula was convicted for “indeterminate acts of corruption” and accused of receiving an apartment in the form of a bribe. The investigation was part of a sweeping corruption probe called the “Car Wash” (Lava Jato) Operation that caused a huge political uproar in Brazil. It claimed to be neutral, and its star Judge Sergio Moro claimed to be above politics.
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