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Brazil’s Lula Refuses to Swap Jail for House Arrest

Former president says he won’t swap his dignity for freedom
Lula has been in jail for 1-1/2 years, serving 9-year sentence

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Photographer: Patricia Monteiro/Bloomberg

By

Simone Preissler Iglesias

September 30, 2019, 7:43 PM UTCUpdated onSeptember 30, 2019, 10:33 PM UTC

Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has rejected prosecutors’ request that he leave prison for house arrest, setting up a potential clash with judges over his sentence for corruption and money-laundering.

“I won’t swap my dignity for my freedom,” Lula said in a hand-written letter posted on his Twitter account. He added that prosecutors should apologize to the Brazilian people and his family “for the evil they’ve done to democracy, to Justice, and to the country.”