Brazilian Court Denies Lula's Latest Appeal Attempt

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was denied his latest appeal against his conviction, after having begun a 12-year sentence earlier this month.

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A Federal Regional Court unanimously overturned his appeal on Wednesday. Judge Nivaldo Brunoni told Globo: “After analyzing all the weights of the defense, the appeal is inadmissible.”

Lula has at least two possible remaining appeals with the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) and the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

Lula turned himself into police on April 7, one day after the April 6 deadline when Brazil's top court denied his first Habeas Corpus appeal to remain free while he exhausted his appeals. His incarceration was met with an outcry of protest from his supporters, and statements of solidarity from progressive governments and leaders throughout South America and the Caribbean.

The Workers Party founder, whose leadership is credited with vastly reducing poverty and hunger in the country, and who, backed by Brazil's massive working class, is expected to win the presidency should he be permitted to run for reelection, is accused of corruption charges involving the construction company OAS.

Lula maintains his innocence and says that the charges are fabricated to prevent him from taking the country back from the right-wing, unelected government of current President Michel Temer.

Former Sao Paolo mayor and likely Workers Party candidate if Lula can't run, Fernando Haddad, told Reuters on Wednesday that the electoral field, for left and right, is very divided without Lula, who still enjoys majority support. "We are seeing that both the left and the right are divided, with many candidates. With the exception of Lula, no one has more than 20 percent of voter support," he said.