GENEVA (Reuters) – The U.N. human rights committee said on Thursday that corruption proceedings against former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that led to his imprisonment and prevented him from running for the top job in 2018 violated due process.
“These procedural violations rendered Lula’s prohibition to run for president arbitrary and therefore in violation of his political rights, including his right to run for office,” according to a statement on behalf of the committee of independent experts.
Brazil’s Supreme Court last year confirmed a decision to annul Lula’s convictions and the leftist candidate is currently the frontrunner ahead of an October election. [nL2N2WN10I
(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by John Stonestreet)