RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian Supreme Court (TSJ) Tuesday rejected a motion of habeas corpus presented by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's defense team.
Supreme Court Justice Humberto Martins denied the motion filed Tuesday morning, saying such petitions are only applicable when there is a "concrete threat of imminent imprisonment" in a statement published on the court's website.
He added that, when Lula was sentenced last week, the appeals court decided the former president would not be detained until his options in that same court were exhausted.
Lula's motion was aimed at seeking to avoid arrest after an appeals court upheld his conviction of passive corruption and money laundering and extended his jail period last week.
A federal judge Monday ordered the public auction of a beachfront apartment allegedly used to bribe the former president in exchange for his help with engineering company OAS to get contracts from state oil company Petrobras.
