The Brazilian Supreme Court upheld the overturning of the sentence of former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, declaring incompetent the Paraná State Court, which was considering the case, writes the Globo TV channel on Thursday, April 15.
Eight out of eleven judges upheld the decision to overturn the former president’s sentence.
The country’s Supreme Court ruled that the Curitiba court in the state of Parana, which tried the corruption case against Lula da Silva, did not have the necessary competence to do so. Now the case will be considered in the Federal District Court.
In June 2018, the Brazilian Left Workers’ Party nominated Lula da Silva as head of state. Then the politician was serving a sentence for corruption in the form of 12 years in prison.
The ex-president was considered the favorite, but the court refused to register him as a candidate.
In November 2019, the sentence was increased to 17 years, one month and 10 days. The politician himself did not admit his guilt.
The Supreme Court decision restores the ex-president’s rights and opens the way for him to the 2022 elections.
Lula Da Silva, who is the founder of the leftist Workers’ Party, was President of Brazil from January 1, 2003 to January 1, 2011.