The Socialist leader, António Costa visited José Sócrates in Evora prison today and reported that the former prime minister was maintaining his "fighting spirit."
Another high profile visitor dropping in to wish Sócrates a happy new year was former President of the Republic, Mário Soares.
Costa has visited the former prime minister before and said to reporters today that "he's a fighter and is fighting for what he believes to be his truth."
The socialist leader stressed that this was a personal visit and that he did not want to talk to journalists, which later he did.
Mário Soares said that "there is no reason" to keep Sócrates in prison and said that he felt that he should visit his friend on the last day of the year, describing him as being "very well, from an intellectual point of view."
The former President of the Republic reiterated that Sócrates is the victim of a politically motivated action, something he said after his first visit to Évora jail on November 26th. At the time, Soares said the former prime minister is a "victim of a campaign that is a disgrace," it is "a political case."
Soares arrived in Évora this morning about half an hour before António Costa who arrived at 10.30.
José Sócrates has been in jail for over a month and is being held in case he gets involved in or influences Operation Marques which is an investigation into tax fraud, money laundering and corruption in which Sócrates is one of the two main suspects.
