Europe

Brazil's former president files petition at the UN

Associated Press
Published | Updated

FILE - In this June 6, 2016, file photo, Brazil's Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at a rally in defense of public companies and against Brazil's interim President Michel Temer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lawyers for the ex-President have filed a petition on Thursday, July 28, 2016, with the U.N. denouncing what they call a lack of impartiality and abuse of power by the judge investigating the corruption scandal at state-owned oil company Petrobras. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this June 6, 2016, file photo, Brazil's Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at a rally in defense of public companies and against Brazil's interim President Michel Temer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lawyers for the ex-President have filed a petition on Thursday, July 28, 2016, with the U.N. denouncing what they call a lack of impartiality and abuse of power by the judge investigating the corruption scandal at state-owned oil company Petrobras. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) (The Associated Press)

Lawyers for former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva say they have filed a petition at the U.N. Human Right Committee denouncing what they call a lack of impartiality and abuse of power by the judge investigating the mammoth corruption-kickback scandal at state-owned oil company Petrobras.

Besides Silva's attorneys, the petition filed Thursday in Geneva was also signed by British lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, a human rights specialist.

From his office in London, Robertson told reporters in Sao Paulo during a conference call that the petition details alleged violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by Judge Sergio Moro, who is leading the Petrobras investigation.