MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th November, 2019) The federal court of Brazil's southern city of Curitiba ruled to release former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, serving a prison term on corruption and money laundering charges, in the wake of a fresh supreme court ruling on appeals.
"Due to the lack of reasons for continued implementation of the criminal sanction and detention, it should be ceased," the Curitiba court said on Friday.
On Thursday, the Brazilian supreme court ruled to change regulations on appeals, allowing inmates still appealing their convictions to be released.
Since April 2018, Lula da Silva has been serving a prison term of eight years and 10 months after he was convicted on the corruption and money laundering charges he had denied. In June, the Second Panel of the Federal Supreme Court dismissed his appeal, refusing to release the ex-president.
Lula da Silva's defense team decided to file a petition, asking the court to release him, as soon as the supreme court decision on appeals was announced.
Lawyers said it confirmed that the ex-president had been illegally detained for 579 days and was a victim of laws that could be used for political persecution.
Lula's charges were related to the case of infamous construction company Odebrecht that bribed politicians across Latin America to secure lucrative contracts.
