FILE - In this July 5, 2017 file photo, Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends the inauguration ceremony for the new leadership of the Workers' Party, in Brasilia, Brazil. A panel of judges on Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, rejected da Silva’s request for an injunction that would prevent him from being imprisoned as he appeals a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
Republished March 06, 2018 - 12:34 PM
Original Publication Date March 06, 2018 - 12:01 PM
SAO PAULO - Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is a step closer to prison.
A panel of judges on Brazil's Superior Court of Justice on Tuesday rejected da Silva's request for an injunction that would prevent him from being imprisoned as he appeals a corruption conviction.
A group of federal judges upheld the conviction in January and Brazilian law states that people should be arrested after such a ruling.
The former president can still appeal Tuesday's ruling to the country's top court, the Superior Federal Tribunal.
Da Silva was wildly popular during his 2003-2011 term and is the front-runner for the 2018 presidential election.
He denies any wrongdoing and insists he's being persecuted by those trying to prevent his election.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018