Brazil’s ex-president Lula released from prison

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 9 (IANS) Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been released from prison in Curitiba, southern Brazil.

The former President was serving his sentence in the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba. As he left the building on Friday, he was received by a crowd of supporters and fellow politicians from the Workers’ Party (PT), Xinhua reported.

Lula’s release followed a ruling of the Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), made on Thursday evening, which determined that defendants in Brazil will only be arrested after the last appeal of their processes.

In Brazil, a case can be appealed three times — to the local court, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) and the STF.