The Superior Court of Justice (STJ) closed this Tuesday (17) two cases in which former minister José Dirceu was responsible for investigations into Operation Lava Jato. With the decision, Dirceu can regain his political rights and run for office in the next elections.
The decision was taken after the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Gilmar Mendes ordered the annulment of the former minister’s convictions arising from Operation Lava Jato.
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.
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.
In today’s session, the ministers of the court’s Fifth Panel understood that the charges against Dirceu were time-barred and the proceedings must be closed.
At the STF, José Dirceu’s defense claimed that the Second Panel of the Court considered, in 2021, that Sergio Moro was biased when judging President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and ordered the annulment of the sentence involving the Guarujá 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 and the main judge who worked in Lava Jato, sentenced Dirceu to 23 years and 3 months in prison. The conviction had been requested by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF).
