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🇧🇷 Brazil /Crime & Justice

Italy denies extradition of ex-deputy Zambelli, a blow to Brazil's top judge

From Folha de S.Paulo · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has faced another setback as Italy's Court of Cassation overturned a lower court's decision to extradite former federal deputy Carla Zambelli.
  • Zambelli, convicted for invading the National Justice Council's system and issuing a false arrest warrant against Moraes, remains free pending a new trial.
  • The ruling highlights ongoing challenges in extraditing Bolsonaro-era figures, with other cases involving former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem and blogger Allan dos Santos also facing extradition hurdles in the US and Italy.

Italy's Court of Cassation has once again denied a Brazilian extradition request, this time for former federal deputy Carla Zambelli. This decision represents a significant setback for Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who sought to bring Bolsonaro-era figures back to Brazil to face charges.

A decisão da Justiça italiana de negar novamente um pedido de extradição da ex-deputada federal Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) é mais um revés para o ministro do STF (Supremo Tribunal Federal) Alexandre de Moraes na tentativa de trazer de volta ao país bolsonaristas condenados ou investigados pela corte.

— Folha de S.PauloIntroduction to the article.

Zambelli, a prominent supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was convicted in Brazil for her role in invading the National Justice Council's system and for issuing a false arrest warrant against Moraes himself. She received a ten-year prison sentence. However, the Italian court's decision to overturn the extradition order means she will remain free while awaiting a new trial.

The Italian court previously found problematic what it termed Moraes' "dual role" in the case. In response, the president of Brazil's Supreme Court, Edson Fachin, defended Moraes' actions, stating they adhered to the constitution and due process, and were unanimously supported by the court's First Chamber.

A primeira sentença do país europeu afirmou ver como problemático o que chamou de duplo papel de Moraes no processo em que Zambelli acabou condenada a dez anos de prisão pela invasão do sistema do CNJ (Conselho Nacional de Justiça) e pela emissão de um mandado falso de prisão contra o próprio ministro.

— Folha de S.PauloReasoning behind the Italian court's initial decision.

This case is part of a broader effort by Moraes to extradite several Bolsonaro allies. Among them is Alexandre Ramagem, former head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), who faces 16 years in prison for his alleged participation in a coup attempt. Ramagem was briefly detained in the U.S. on immigration grounds but was later released. Another figure, blogger Allan dos Santos, is not being extradited by the U.S. government, which cited concerns about freedom of expression for "opinion crimes."

Em nota, o presidente do STF, Edson Fachin, reagiu à época dizendo que a ação cumpriu a Constituição, o contraditório e ampla defesa.

— Edson FachinResponse from the President of the STF regarding Moraes' actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Folha de S.Paulo in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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