The extradition of the Brazilian congresswoman. Carla Zambelli She will be judged by the Italian courts on November 27th. The hearing will take place at the Court of Appeals in Rome, which has been responsible for the case since the parliamentarian was arrested in the country at the end of July. It will be the first formal decision by the Italian courts regarding the request made by the Brazilian government.
The hearing is scheduled for 13 p.m. local time, equivalent to 9 a.m. in Brasília. The representative of the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office will make the first statement, followed by the lawyer representing Brazil and, finally, the defense. Zambelli may speak if she wishes. The decision will be made by the court judges and communicated a few days later.
The Public Prosecutor's Office is in favor of extradition.
The Italian Public Prosecutor's Office has already expressed its support for the extradition in a document sent to the court in October. According to the agency, the legal requirements stipulated in the bilateral treaty between Brazil and Italy are met, without any legal impediments.
The agreement between the two countries establishes that extradition can only be granted when the alleged crimes are punishable by imprisonment under both legal systems and when the person has been tried with minimum guarantees of defense. Prosecutors claim that these conditions have been met.
Defense claims political persecution.
Lawyer Pieremilio Sammarco, who represents Zambelli in Italy, stated that he will continue to argue the case as politically motivated. If the Court of Appeals decides in favor of extradition, both the defense and the Brazilian representation may appeal.
Even after the court decisions, the final word will rest with the Italian government through the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for authorizing or rejecting the extradition of the parliamentarian to Brazil.
Convictions and escape
Zambelli left Brazil in June, before beginning to serve a ten-year prison sentence for crimes related to hacking into the National Council of Justice's system and issuing a false arrest warrant against Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
While in Italy, the congresswoman received another conviction, this time for five years, for illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful coercion. These two cases were combined into the same extradition process.
Before traveling, Zambelli stated that her Italian citizenship would make her untouchable and prevent her extradition. Since then, judicial decisions made in Italy have contradicted this expectation.
Italian courts deny all requests from the defense.
Since her arrest, Zambelli has suffered two significant defeats. The Court of Appeals denied her request to await trial under house arrest or in freedom, arguing a concrete risk of flight. In October, the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the Italian justice system, also rejected her appeal and ruled that she remain in the Rebibbia women's prison in Rome.
