UN human rights committee asks Brazil to let Lula run in election [View all]

[sandensea]

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has called for imprisoned former president Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva to be allowed to run as a candidate in October's presidential elections.

The committee, which oversees countries' compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, said on Friday that Lula cannot be disqualified from the poll because his legal appeals are still ongoing.

The committee urged Brazil "not to prevent him from standing for election in the 2018 presidential elections, until his appeals before the courts have been completed in fair judicial proceedings."

Brazil's Workers Party nominated Lula as their candidate earlier this month, despite his currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for his alleged role in the Car Wash beibery scandal Lula during his 2003-10 administration.

The former president is leading the polls by a wide margin. He and his supporters say the charges are politically motivated, noting that no evidence was produced against him.

Under Brazilian law, candidates with a conviction upheld cannot hold office for eight years. But a conviction does not bar them from campaigning.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which has until September 17 to rule on Lula's candidacy, is expected to bar the 72-year-old from running, a decision his lawyers could then appeal to the Supreme Court.

Voters go to the polls on October 7.

At: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/human-rights-committee-asks-brazil-lula-run-election-180817143518950.html

Brazil's Luiz "Lula" da Silva. His country's most prominent political prisoner, he currently leads polling by double digits.