BRAZILIANS are holding their breath this evening as the country’s most popular politician, former president Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva, was ordered to turn himself in to begin serving a 12-year sentence on a controversial corruption conviction.

Federal judge Sergio Moro gave Lula until 5pm local time (9pm BST) to comply with the arrest warrant after the Supreme Federal Tribunal voted 6-5 to deny his request to remain on bail while he appeals against a conviction that he contends is designed to keep him off the ballot in October’s presidential election.

Despite his conviction, he is the front-running candidate.

Mr Moro said he was giving Lula the opportunity to come in of his own accord because he had been president. He added that a special cell away from other inmates had been prepared for him at a designated jail in Curitiba.

The speed with which the judge issued the warrant surprised many, as legal observers had said there were technicalities stemming from Lula’s dismissed appeal that would not be sorted out until next week.

Such technicalities “were simply a pathology that should be eliminated from the judicial world,” Mr Moro said.

Thousands gathered outside the metalworkers’ union offices in the Sao Paulo suburb of Sao Bernardo do Campo, where the ex-president began working as a union organiser.

Hundreds spent the night sleeping on the street before Lula waved to supporters from a window this morning. However, he did not speak.

“Why are they in a rush to arrest him?” asked former president Dilma Rousseff, who succeeded Lula and was impeached and ousted from office in 2016 in equally dubious circumstances.

“They fear that Lula would get a favourable decision in court. That is part of the coup that removed me from the presidency.”

Senator Lindbergh Farias said: “I don’t see why he should turn himself in just because Judge Moro had an anxiety crisis. I think they should have to go through the embarrassment of coming here and taking him in front of all these people.

“That footage will be seen around the world and it will be historic.”