Cristina Kirchner hires Brazilian lawyer to challenge Vialidad conviction internationally

Former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has added Brazilian lawyer Rafael Valim, an advisor to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to her legal team. Valim will work with Spanish ex‑judge Javier Borrego to present an appeal of Kirchner’s six‑year prison sentence and permanent disqualification for public office before international tribunals and human‑rights bodies.

The move follows the Argentine Supreme Court’s confirmation of the conviction in the Vialidad corruption case and its order that the defendants return roughly $685 billion in seized assets. Kirchner’s defense argues that the trial violated fundamental human‑rights standards; Valim told a Brazilian outlet that she “suffered grave violations of fundamental human rights.” The strategy is set to be announced publicly in Buenos Aires in the coming days.

Kirchner remains under house arrest while the legal team prepares filings with the United Nations, Inter‑American system and other international courts, seeking to overturn the domestic judgment.