[JURIST] Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff [Reuters profile] has appealed to the Federal Supreme Court [official website] following her removal from office. Arguing that her right to due process had been violated, Rousseff appealed [Reuters report] to the Supreme Court to issue an injunction on the impeachment. Rousseff, by way of counsel, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, also asked the court to amend the budgetary law from the 1950s that laid the ground for Rousseff’s impeachment.

Rousseff was removed from office [JURIST report] on Wednesday following a 61-81 Senate vote in favor of impeachment. Shortly after the decision, Rousseff took to Twitter, proclaiming her innocence and describing the impeachment as a “coup,” saying that it was racist, misogynist and homophobic. While awaiting the ruling during her suspension, Rousseff made an impassioned speech [JURIST report] on Tuesday, in which she claimed she was innocent of the accusations against her and that the evidence against her is only a pretext to overthrow a legitimate government. Brazil’s political establishment has been in turmoil as many powerful politicians have been brought to the center of embarrassing corruption investigation and trials. Earlier this month the Senate of Brazil officially indicted [JURIST report] Rousseff, marking the beginning of an impeachment trial against the embattled president. Rousseff’s opposition claimed that she doctored documents to hide the size of the national deficit in order to spend more government funds as her re-election neared. It is also believed she continued to forge documents in her second term and spent over USD $210 million without the legislature’s approval.