Brazil's Lula appeals decision to seize his passport

SAO PAULO - 27 January 2018: Lawyers for Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday appealed a decision to seize the former president's passport, on the heels of an appeals court ruling upholding his corruption conviction.

The seizure was approved on Thursday, a day after appellate court judges voted to uphold Lula's convictions for taking a bribe and money laundering, in a major blow to the popular politician's plans to run again for the presidency this year.

Lula was planning to travel to an African Union conference in Ethiopia. The lawyers claimed the passport seizure violated his constitutional right to freedom of movement.