The UN ratified that Lula da Silva’s rights were violated during his trial

According to the UN commission, Lula Da Silva’s freedoms to be tried by an impartial tribunal, as well as his privacy and political rights, recently regained after the sentences were overturned, were violated. “While states have a duty to investigate and prosecute acts of corruption and to keep the population informed, especially when it comes to a former head of state, such actions must be carried out fairly and respect the guarantees of due process,” said Arif Bulkan, a member of the committee, reported the agency Europa Press.Lula, that starts as a favorite for the elections of October of this year, was investigated in 2016 within the macro-cause Lava Jato, which uncovered a corruption plot within the state Petrobras and several private construction companies, including Odebrecht. The judge in charge of the case was Sergio Moro, who later became justice minister under current President Jair Bolsonaro. During the investigation, Moro approved a request by the prosecutor to tap Lula’s phones, as well as those of his family and his lawyer, and then leaked the contents to the press, which he also informed of an arrest warrant against him for questioning before notifying the former president himself. “The conduct and other public acts of then-Judge Moro violated Lula’s right to be tried by an impartial tribunal, and the actions and statements of former Judge Moro and prosecutors violated Lula’s right to the presumption of innocence,” the report added. and the following year, in January, an appeals court increased the sentence to 12 years. In April 2018, Lula began to serve the prison sentence when there were still pending appeals, and a few months later the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) annulled his candidacy for the presidential elections of October of that year, for which he started as a favorite, and in which Bolsonaro prevailed.However, already in 2021 the Supreme Court annulled the sentence due to the lack of competences of the Curitiba court that led the process, as well as the partiality incurred by Moro, who even directed the actions of the prosecutors during the case. The United Nations Committee maintains that, despite the fact that the Supreme Court annulled Lula’s conviction and imprisonment, “it was not enough” to repair the damage caused, since his right to freedom, privacy, a fair and impartial trial, as well as to stand for political office were violated. Lula announced last week that on May 7 he will launch his official presidential candidacy at an event of the Workers’ Party (PT). Also consecrated before the PT will be the candidacy as vice president of the former governor of São Paulo Geraldo Alckmin, a traditional electoral rival of Lula, within the framework of the policies of alliances to try to win in the first round of October 2 to Bolsonaro.La election takes place in a scenario of polarization with an advantage for Lula of between 5 and 10 points over Bolsonaro, according to surveys.

Original source in Spanish