Lula’s comment on criminal lawyers prompts OAB demand for retraction

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during an interview on the podcast “Inteligência Ltda.” that “criminalista defende bandido,” implying that criminal‑lawyers only defend guilty people. The national president of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (OAB), Beto Simonetti, demanded a public retraction, stating that criminal defence safeguards constitutional rights, due process, the adversarial system and the right to a full defence. The OAB’s São Paulo branch also repudiated Lula’s remark, calling it prejudice that misinforms the public and weakens the democratic state.

Lula also indicated he may skip the first‑round presidential debates, saying he will only attend if the discussion meets a certain quality level. He recalled choosing lawyer Cristiano Zanin for his 2018 defence, despite criticism that Zanin was not a specialist criminal lawyer. The controversy has sparked debate over the role of criminal defence lawyers and the president’s campaign strategy.