Democracy in Brazil is once again in the dock after a court decision barred former President Lula from standing in next month’s Presidential elections. Lula immediately announced he would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The President of the Workers’ Party, Gleisi Hoffman said the decision of the Brazilian electoral court ‘shamed the judiciary’ and vowed to continue the fight for Lula’s candidacy, “We will defend Lula in the streets, with the Brazilian people.”
The ruling came despite an express request by the United Nations Human Rights Committee that Lula should be allowed to stand. The UN Human Rights Committee said in a statement that its instruction was “an urgent measure to preserve Lula’s right, pending the case consideration on the merits, which will take place next year”.
UNI Global Union General Secretary, Christy Hoffman called on all of UNI’s 20 million affiliates worldwide to show their support for Lula, “The decision to bar Lula’s candidacy is an attack on democracy and an insult to the UN. UNI’s affiliates will make their voices heard in protest, we will not rest until Lula is allowed to stand in the elections and freed from prison.”
UNI America’s Regional Secretary Marcio Monzane added, “We are working together with our Brazilian affiliates to do all that we can to right this injustice. We count on the support of our brothers and sisters not only in Latin America but across the world.”
Lula was imprisoned on trumped up corruption charges in April and remains in jail despite one Brazilian judge ordering his release. The judge ruled that Lula’s imprisonment was unlawful. His decision was reversed by judges close to the neo-liberal elite. The former President’s conviction is still on appeal.
UNI affiliates TAKE ACTION, please get on twitter now and show your support for Lula: demand his release and call for him to be allowed to stand using these hashtags – #FreeLula #LulaLivre
