Brasilia, February 11 (RHC)-- The Brazilian Workers' Party (PT) has called demonstrations in Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Cuiaba, and other cities across Brazil in favor of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was, without grounds, condemned by Judge Gabriela Hardt to 12 years and 11 months in prison.

"Once again Lula is condemned with no evidence.  The president, who did the most for the Brazilian people, is now a political prisoner," the PT affirmed in a manifesto published on social networks.

The PT also called for members to concentrate on Curitiba, where Lula has been serving a sentence of 12 years and one month in jail for another case, since April 2018.

Fernando Haddad, who was Lula's replacement in the presidential race held in October last year, highlighted that both the struggle for Lula's liberation and the worker's fight against the setbacks of democracy in Brazil are part of the same political process.

"We want fairness, we want justice.  We want every decision of a judge to be based on evidence, not on conviction," Haddad said outside the PT headquarters in Sao Paulo, and added: "I speak here, not as Lula's friend or as a PT member.  I speak as a citizen who is concerned with the destiny of our country and with the lack of impartiality of justice."