Brazil's Supreme Court voted to deny the immediate release of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who entered prison in April 2018 for corruption and money laundering.
Justice Gilmar Mendes's proposal to release him immediately was defeated three votes to two. The vote took place after an appeal by Lula's defense, which alleged lack of impartiality of Sergio Moro, the judge of the case.
The Supreme Court must re-examine the suspicion of Moro, the current justice minister, in the second half of the year, a hypothesis reinforced after revealing messages exchanged with federal prosecutors.
Lula's defense highlighted the existence of the conversations in court on June 11, in addition to previously filed habeas corpus that had already questioned the former magistrate's conduct.
Before Mendes's proposal, the president of the Supreme Court appeal court, Carmen Lúcia, put this and another request of habeas corpus in voting. Both were rejected.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon