The fate of Brazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is in the balance as the country’s supreme court prepares to hand down a ruling that could lead to him being jailed before October elections for which he is currently the frontrunner.  Tensions are running high with Brazil rocked by the recent killing of a Rio councillor, Marielle Franco, and Wednesday’s judicial decision seems likely to further polarise an already bitterly divided country. If Lula is jailed, his supporters will cry political persecution; if not, his detractors will allege corruption.

Lula’s conviction for corruption and money laundering was upheld by an appeals court in January and his sentence increased to 12 years. On Wednesday the supreme court must decide whether to uphold a 2016 ruling that defendants should begin prison sentences after the first appeal is rejected. Lula’s Worker’s party says the conviction was politically motivated to prevent the former president, who remains popular with poorer Brazilians, from running again in October. The case was part of Brazil’s sprawling “Car Wash” investigation that has jailed dozens of top executives and politicians.(theguardian)…[+]