Brazil: concerns over the long-standing campaign targeting former President Lula
In a letter to Brazilian President Michel Temer, Education International (EI) expressed great concern over the long-standing campaign of defamation and political harassment against former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The right to a fair trial and to due process of law are fundamental principles of democracy. The Brazilian State has violated and continues to violate these fundamental human rights by engaging in a nakedly political and criminal investigation of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in order to prevent him from running for office in the upcoming elections.
The accusations levelled against former President Lula stem from an anti-corruption investigation initiated by the administration of President Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s successor. To date, the prosecution has not produced any evidence of corruption against Lula.
In spite of this, the appeal court of Porto Alegre upheld the conviction of former President Lula on a charge of corruption on 24 January.
Education International joins the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Central Única dos Trabalhadores(CUT) in calling on the government of Brazil to immediately comply with customary international law, by respecting the fundamental rights to due process of law and to a fair trial of former President Lula.
