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(CNN) - The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled Thursday night that defendants can only be imprisoned after exhausting all appeals, paving the way for the release of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, jailed for corruption last year .
Da Silva's lawyers said Friday they would submit a request for immediate release to the regional presiding judge. According to experts, the judge could release Da Silva on Friday or take more time to review the request.
- They denounce former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his brother, Frei Chico, for passive corruption
The release of Da Silva would increase tensions in an already polarized Brazil.
The former president led the 2018 presidential election polls despite being convicted of corruption, until the courts ruled that he could run. Jair Bolsonaro, a former right-wing ex-legislator and declared enemy of Da Silva, was elected in October.
The Supreme Court ruling could benefit almost 5,000 non-violent criminals. With its 6-5 vote, the court reversed a three-year decision that had determined that the defendants could be jailed after losing their case in the first instance.
That decision helped put dozens of politicians and powerful business leaders behind bars as part of the Lava Jato investigation, a massive corruption scandal.
Lula is currently serving a sentence of eight years and ten months in prison for corruption and money laundering for allegedly having benefited from a triplex apartment offered by another large construction company.
Lula's defense has once again denied the accusations and has ensured that the former president never offered Odebrecht any irregular benefits package.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
