UN Warns Brazil to Respect Jailed Ex-President Lula’s Rights

Adeyinka Olaiya, Sao Paulo, Brazil/

 

Brazil is under human rights watch as a storm is raging over its upcoming presidential election in which opinion polls are in favour of ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is in prison accused of corruption while he was in office from 2002 to 2010.

Already, the United Nations human rights committee has called on the Supreme Court of Brazil to honour the accord reached by the organization, of which the country is equally a signatory to guarantee the rights and the candidacy of the ex-president.

Lula da Silva, aka Lula, has been in prison since April 2018 after he was denied by the Supreme Court all rights to appeal in freedom.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the political and economic situation in Brazil has been tense since the country launched a war against corruption that has led over 100 politicians, top businessmen and dignitaries to jail, including the former 10th richest man in the world Eike Batista.

If Lula is allowed to register his candidacy, even though in prison, he is expected to win the next presidential election in October with a margin of over 50 per cent of the intentions of votes.

His candidacy has been registered by his party, Partido dos trabalhadores (PT), but still due for analyzes by the electoral committee and the Supreme Court if he should be allowed or not.

In spite of the fact that he is in prison, Lula has led in all researches conducted by the electoral statistics table, polls and favourites with over 50 per cent of the voting intentions.

According to the Brazilian legislation, whoever suffers a collegiate sentence is ineligible and cannot be allowed to register his candidacy, but jurisprudence has guaranteed the electoral rights of many candidates in the past and of which such his expected in this same situation.

Notwithstanding, his party has, however, launched his candidacy for the next presidential election in October.

Many people find it difficult to understand why a candidate in prison, jailed for corruption, is still leading all polls, researches and intentions of votes.

The UN human rights commission warned the Supreme Court of Brazil not to politicize the highest court of law thereby barring the political right of a preferred candidate of the majority of the Brazilian people.

PT was co-founded by Lula about 40 years ago and has ruled for over 16 years before an impeachment was proffered on the former president, Mrs Dilma Roseff.

Lula was considered a leftist during his tenure as the president of Brazil bettering the lives of the less privileged.

According to the President of his political party, Mrs Gleisy Hoffman, the elites are trying to sell the economic power of the country to the Americans thereby using all machinations possible to prevent the only candidate that can confront the system from contesting.

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