A Brazilian judge announced Friday that former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will stand trial for obstruction of justice. Federal court judge Ricardo Leite in Brasília concluded [NDTV report] that there is sufficient evidence to charge the former president and six other individuals. Da Silva is alleged to have conspired to “buy the silence of a former Petrobras director” who was arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into corruption at the “state-run” oil company. The other individuals that will be tried for their involvement are former senator Delcídio do Amaral, Diogo Ferreira, André Esteves, Edson Ribeiro, José Carloes Bumlai and Maurício Bumlai. Amaral alleges [NYT report] that he and the former president arranged to have the legal fees paid for the arrested former Petrobras director in exchange for his silence. Da Silva has denied the charges.

More than 100 individuals and 50 politicians have been arrested in connection to the Petrobras scandal that continues to plague the country as it prepares for the upcoming summer Olympics. This week da Silva filed [JURIST report] a petition with the UN Human Rights Committee, claiming that his corruption investigation has been riddled with impartiality and abuse of power by the judge. In May Brazil’s Supreme court suspended [JURIST report] lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha after being suspected of obstructing investigations into his allegedly corrupt activities. Also in May, local media in Brazil reported [JURIST report] that the country’s top prosecutors had requested an investigation into sitting-President Dilma Rousseff over alleged connections to the Petrobras corruption scandal. In April, The Supreme Federal Court in Brazil ordered [JURIST report] the legislature to commence impeachment proceedings against Vice President Michel Temer.