Lula appeals to UN over ‘abuse of rights’ in bribery inquiry

THE former president of Brazil has filed a petition to the United Nations claiming human rights abuses by his own country, as he faces arrest over a corruption scandal threatening to overshadow the Olympics.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is a key suspect in Operation Car Wash, an investigation into a multibillion-dollar kickback scheme at Petrobras, the state oil company.

Mr da Silva has employed Geoffrey Robertson, QC, the human rights barrister who defended Salman Rushdie, Mike Tyson and Julian Assange.

Yesterday Mr Robertson filed a petition in Geneva detailing alleged violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and abuses of power by Judge Sergio Moro, who is leading the investigation.

“Lula is bringing his case to the UN because he cannot get justice under the inquisitorial system in Brazil,” Mr Robertson told The Daily Telegraph. “His telephones are being tapped, as are those of his family and his lawyers and the intercept transcripts, even the audio transcripts, are being released for publication by a politically hostile media.

“The judge who has been invading his privacy is having him arrested at any moment and then will become his trial judge deciding his case without a jury.” Mr Robertson added: “The judge even has power to detain suspects indefinitely until they confess and plea bargain. This is system that breaches fundamental human rights and has been condemned by UN bodies because several thousand Brazilians are unconvicted but languish in prison.

“This case will expose the problem of pretrial detention in Brazil and the problem of wrongful convictions based on confessions by suspects who just want to get out of prison.

“It is very important to fight corruption but only if it is fought fairly.”

Mr da Silva, president from 2003 to 2010, was swept up in the investigation in March. Prosecutors allege that the Workers’ Party, of which both Mr da Silva and his successor as president, Dilma Rousseff, are members, partly financed its campaigns and expenses through Petrobras kickbacks.