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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Ex-Brazil President Lula calls for release, accuses judge of bias |
| 2018-11-06 |
| [Al Jazeera] Former Brazil President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva has challenged his corruption conviction, arguing that the judge behind his conviction has "proven his bias" by accepting a cabinet post under a political rival. The petition filed on Monday with Brazil's highest court asks Lula, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence, to be freed and his conviction overturned. Lula's plea came days after president-elect Jair Bolsonaro announced Judge Sergio Moro as the next justice minister of the South American country. Lula's lawyers have long argued that Moro was biased and that charges against the former president were trumped up to keep him from running for the post again. Lula was leading the run-up to the deeply polarised election this year, but his conviction in a corruption case prevented him from running. Brazil's "Clean Slate" law forbids people with serious criminal convictions from standing for office within eight years of being found guilty. |
| Posted by:Fred |