A Maltese missionary has written to Brazil’s chief justice in support of the presidential candidature of imprisoned Lula, the country's former president and currently its most popular politician.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, universally known as Lula, registered his candidacy for the October presidential election from jail. In the coming days, the Brazilian judicial system is expected to decide whether it will bar him from running.

The UN human rights committee has already said that the imprisoned leftist leader cannot be disqualified from the elections because his legal appeals are ongoing.

The two-term former president is serving time for corruption, but he is leading the electoral polls.

Read: Lula vows to undo sale of Brazilian assets if returned to office

Fr John Caruana, who has spent more than three decades in the South American country, is calling on the President of the Supreme Federal Court Cármen Lúcia to save the reputation of the Brazilian Judiciary. 

Based in the Archdiocese of Maringa in Parana, Brazil, Fr Caruana sent a letter to the Supreme Judge in support of Lula’s liberty.

Fr John Caruana

Inspired by “the sacrifice of six noble citizens" who are in the fourth week of their hunger strike, Fr Caruana noted that a person who killed his stepfather was recently sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

“While President Lula, who took 30 million out of extreme poverty, was condemned to more than 12 years. How can the Judiciary explain this to people?

“In Curitiba, a city councilman who killed two people by participating in a race in the city is awaiting the last appeal in freedom, while President Lula is being denied this right. How can one explain this to people?” he asked.

Six Brazilians, including a Franciscan Brother, who have been staging a hunger strike since the end of July, are calling for the release of Lula.

Fr Caruana told Times of Malta that he had sent the letter in response to an appeal by the Chief Coordinator of the Landless Peasants Movement Joao Pedro Stedile, whom he knows personally.

In a video clip, Mr Stedile urges support for those on hunger strike, and calls on viewers to write to the Supreme Judge in support of Lula's candidature for the imminent presidential elections.

Everaldo Otacilio, poses in front of a community radio with pictures of former Brazilian President Lula. Photo by Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino