Brazil's Supreme Court delivers a ruling that could release almost 5,000 inmates still appealing their convictions, including former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other powerful figures jailed in a sprawling corruption investigation.
A supporter holds a doll depicting jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, outside Brazil'sSupreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. The Supreme Court will resume debate over if it’s legal to jail a person who fails to overturn their conviction in a higher court. The decision could affect cases like that of Da Silva.
The ruling also covers others convicted in cases arising from the so-called Car Wash investigation, which has ensnared dozens of top politicians and business leaders in Latin America’s largest nation. They will now be able to seek release. The decision marks a sharp change for Brazil’s top court, which in February 2016 accepted that defendants whose convictions are upheld may be jailed even if their other appeals are pending. Brazil’s constitution states that no one can be considered guilty until due process is concluded.
Da Silva is still appealing a case related to the alleged purchase of a beachfront apartment in the city of Guaruja, in Sao Paulo state. He was also sentenced by a lower court judge in a case regarding alleged ownership of a farmhouse in Atibaia, outside Sao Paulo.
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