Federal Appeals Court Condemns Lula and Increases Jail Time to 17 Years

Ruling puts pressure on Supreme Court and can be decisive in the freedom of the ex-president

Nov.28.2019 12:44PM

Paula Sperb
Felipe Bächtold
PORTO ALEGRE and SÃO PAULO
A federal appeals court upheld a corruption conviction against ex-president Lula in the Atibaia country house case and elevated the petista's penalty. This goes against the recent decision leveled by Supreme Court Justice, which had reversed two Car Wash convictions.

The three Porto Alegre federal judges voted to increase the penalty against Lula to 17 years, one month, and ten days of prison. In the original case, he received 12 years and 11 months.

This decision, however, does not change two things: Lula remains free while waiting for the final decision, and he still cannot be a candidate in any election, due to the Clean Record Law.

Judges João Pedro Gebran Neto, rapporteur, Leandro Paulsen, and Carlos Eduardo Thompson Flores took advantage of an opening in the Supreme Court's October ruling that allowed defendants to respond to whistleblower allegations. In the first case at Atibaia, this was now allowed.

More:
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2019/11/federal-appeals-court-condemns-lula-and-increases-jail-time-to-17-years.shtml