The Superior Court of Justice (STJ) closed this Tuesday (17) two cases in which the former minister José Dirceu (PT-SP) responsible for the investigations of Operation Lava Jato.
With the decision, Dirceu can regain his political rights and run in the 2026 elections.
The decision was taken after the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Gilmar Mendes.
The annulment was granted on October 28th of this year to exclude all procedural acts that were carried out by former judge Sergio Moro against Dirceu.
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After the minister’s deliberation, the STJ was informed of the decision to take the appropriate measures for the proceedings being processed against the former minister in court.
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In this Tuesday’s session, the ministers of the Fifth Panel of the court understood that the accusations against Dirceu were time-barred and the processes must be closed.
At the STF, José Dirceu’s defense claimed that the Second Panel of the Court considered, in 2021, that Moro was biased when judging the president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and ordered the annulment of the sentence involving the Guarujá (SP) triplex case. Thus, the former minister’s defense asked for the extension of the effects of the decision.
In 2016, Moro, then responsible for the 13th Federal Court in Curitiba (PR) and main judge who worked in Lava Jato, sentenced Dirceu to 23 years and 3 months in prison.
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Trajectory
José Dirceu was sentenced to 7 years and 11 months in prison in 2012 – he was arrested on November 15, 2013. At the end of 2014, he was allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence at his home – the Mensalão penalty it was extinguished in 2016. The former all-powerful PT was also arrested as part of Lava Jato.
In addition to being head of the Civil House of the first Lula government, from 2003 to 2005, Dirceu was a federal deputy for São Paulo (1991 to 1995 and 1999 to 2005, when he was impeached) and national president of the PT (1995 to 2002).
(With Agência Brasil)
