Lula's Request for Habeas Corpus Denied by Top Brazil Court

(Bloomberg) -- Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice turned down a request for a preventative habeas corpus, filed by lawyers on behalf of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Judge Humberto Martins, the vice president of the court, wrote that such a plea is only applicable when there is "a concrete threat of prison imminent" in a statement published on the court’s website. The possibility of immediate imprisonment does not appear to be present, the note stated.

Last week, an appeals court unanimously upheld Lula’s conviction for corruption and money-laundering and extended his jail time from nine and half years to 12 years and one month. The judges also ruled that the 72-year-old leftist leader could be jailed as soon as his appeals process cames to an end. On Friday, a federal judge ordered the seizure of Lula’s passport and barred him from leaving the country.

The ruling drastically reduced the chances that Lula will be eligible to run for the presidency this year, though his lawyers have vowed to challenge the decision. The front-runner by a wide margin in opinion polls, Lula accepted the Workers’ Party nomination the day after the court’s judgment. Lawyers for the ex-president filed a request for habeas corpus at the Superior Court of Justice earlier on Tuesday.

To contact the reporters on this story: Bruce Douglas in Brasilia Newsroom at bdouglas24@bloomberg.net, Vinícius Andrade in São Paulo at vandrade3@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Vivianne Rodrigues at vrodrigues3@bloomberg.net, Matthew Malinowski, Robert Jameson

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