Former Brazilian president Lula to face jail for corruption

The former Brazilian president faces 12 years in jail on charges of accepting a bribe and corruption 

Former Brazilian president  Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will soon be imprisoned on corruption charges after the supreme court denied a habeas corpus request.

He is facing 12 years in jail on charges of accepting a bribe, yet has asked to remain free during his appeal.

Lula claims the charges are politically motivated, and to prevent him from running in October’s presidential election. He is currently leading in opinion polls.

The Supreme Court judges ruled against him by six to five after a marathon session, which ended in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Lula served as president between 2003 and 2011. Despite his lead in current polls, he remains a divisive figure in Brazil.

Up to 20,000 people protested in São Paulo on Tuesday calling for his immediate imprisonment, while supporters also rallied in large numbers in a rival demonstration.

Lula was found to have accepted a bribe worth some 3.7 million reais ($1.1m, £790,000) in the form of a beachfront apartment.

The charges came from an anti-corruption investigation known as Operation Car Wash, which has implicated top politicians from several parties.