Lula's Freedom Bid Blocked by Brazil Judges Amid Legal Spat
- Judge’s decision to release Lula is quickly overturned
- Lula leads opinion polls for October presidential election
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Photographer: Rodrigo Capote/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A series of Brazilian judges blocked an order to release former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from jail as pressure over the fate of Brazil’s most popular politician builds in the run-up to October’s election.
The legal standoff started when appeals court judge Rogerio Favreto accepted a habeas corpus request filed by Lula’s Workers’ Party on Sunday morning, prompting immediate opposition by Sergio Moro, the judge who first convicted the former president. A battle of court injunctions ensued and eventually the head of the same appeals’ court intervened, overturning Favreto’s decision.