UN accepts case against Brazilian judge accused of persecuting Lula

File photo shows Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reviews the honor guard during a reception ceremony at Havana's Revolution Palace January 15, 2008. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DO JANEIRO - The defense team of Brazil's former President Quiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday the United Nations accepted their complaint against Judge Sergio Moro for violating Lula's civil and political rights.

Moro is in charge of Operation Car Wash, a probe into the corruption scandal involving the state-controlled oil company Petrobras, and Lula was accused of money laundering and corruption in connection with the Petrobras investigation.

Lula's lawyer Cristiano Martins said Moro is persecuting the former President for political reasons in an attempt to pin on him crimes he did not commit.

Martins said the UN High Commissary for Human Rights admitted the case against Moro and the Brazilian government was ordered to present information on the case. The government has a two-month deadline to provide related information.

Lula's defense filed the case in the UN in July. Moro is accused of violating Lula's rights and acting arbitrarily in the investigation, such as forcibly taking Lula to testify, even though he had not refused to testify before, the defense said.

In addition, illegally recorded conversations between Lula and then-President Dilma Rousseff were leaked to the press, even though presidential conversations should never be handled by a regular court like Moro's, as the president has the privilege of being attended by the Supreme Court under Brazilian law.

"We advanced another step in the protection of the former president's individual rights with the UN's acceptance of our registration. It is especially important to know that from now on, the UN will be taking note of the gross violations committed against Lula every day," Lula's defense said.