Lula's remarks on criminal lawyers spark outrage among legal bodies

Legal organizations and criminal defense lawyers in Brazil have strongly criticized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for stating that attorneys in his field do not know how to "defend an innocent person." The Brazilian Federal Council of the OAB (OAB Federal) and the Brazilian Association of Criminal Lawyers (Abracrim) have demanded a public retraction from the president.

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Criminal lawyers don't know how to defend an innocent person. [...] Criminal lawyers defend bandits.

Lula made the controversial statement during an interview on the podcast Inteligência Ltda. When asked why he did not hire a criminal lawyer after his arrest in 2018 as part of the Lava Jato operation, the president responded, "Criminal lawyers don't know how to defend an innocent person. [...] Criminal lawyers defend bandits."

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We expect President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to issue a retraction, as well as due respect for criminal defense, whose function is essential to the administration of justice and the preservation of the Democratic State of Law, as the president himself has recognized and praised on various occasions.

The OAB Federal president, Beto Simonetti, stated, "We expect President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to issue a retraction, as well as due respect for criminal defense, whose function is essential to the administration of justice and the preservation of the Democratic State of Law, as the president himself has recognized and praised on various occasions." Abracrim described the remark as "serious, stigmatizing, and incompatible with the foundations of the Democratic State of Law." The association emphasized that criminal defense lawyers do not defend "bandits" but rather the constitutional guarantees and the rule of law.

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The criminal defense does not confuse itself with the facts attributed to the people it defends. Its function is to ensure that no one is investigated, prosecuted, convicted, or deprived of their freedom without respect for constitutional guarantees.

The Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense (IDDD) noted that Lula's statement stems from a misconception they have worked for over two decades to correct. The IDDD argues that criminal defense lawyers ensure that no citizen is investigated, prosecuted, or deprived of liberty without respect for constitutional guarantees. The organization pointed out that Lula's own experience, having been imprisoned for 580 days before his convictions were annulled by the Supreme Federal Court, highlights the critical importance of legal defense.

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The personal experience mentioned by the president demonstrates the importance of technical defense. No citizen, regardless of their political position, economic condition, or conviction of innocence, should face the investigative and accusatory apparatus of the State alone.