Brasilia: Brazil's ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be jailed while he appeals against a graft conviction, the Supreme Court has ruled, reports BBC. He is facing 12 years in jail on charges of accepting a bribe but had asked to remain free during his appeal. Lula claims the charges are politically motivated, and designed to prevent him from running for president in October. He has a lead in opinion polls. His Workers' Party said the ruling was a "tragic day for democracy and Brazil". The Supreme Court judges ruled against him by six to five after a marathon session, which ended in the early hours of Thursday.