A Brazilian appeals court Wednesday upheld ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's conviction for corruption, effectively ending his hopes of relection this year.

Two of the three judges in the appeals court in the southern city of Porto Alegre ruled that his original 9.5-year jail sentence be extended to more than 12 years.

A defiant Lula, 72, said before the judgement he would continue to fight "for the dignity of the Brazilian people" and insisted he had committed no crime.