Lula must report in prison on Friday

sao paulo - A federal judge in Brazil has ordered that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must report to the prison no later than Friday afternoon to begin serving a prison sentence of twelve years.

Lula still has an appeal against the verdict and was allowed to await the ruling so far. But on Wednesday, the Supreme Court in Brazil ordered six to five votes that Lula should immediately go to jail.

The court ruled in 2016 that suspects should start their imprisonment if their first appeal against a conviction is rejected. That decision was, however, the subject of discussion.

Lula wants to take part in the presidential election again, but will probably be declared ineligible by his conviction. Yet he conducts the polls in the politically divided country. He was president from the beginning of 2003 to 2011 on behalf of the left-wing Labor Party. Supporters of Lula think he will be prosecuted to prevent him from taking part in the elections again.

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