Zambelli completes 90 days in prison and Italian MP denies political persecution

Federal deputy Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) completed 90 days in prison at the Rebibbia Women's Penitentiary in Rome this Monday (27).

The Italian Public Prosecutor's Office sent a decisive opinion to the local court stating that the parliamentarian is not at risk of human rights violations if she is extradited to Brazil.

The document, signed on the 20th by prosecutor Erminio Carmelo Amelio, refutes the thesis of political persecution presented by the defense.

According to the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) decisions that led to the deputy's conviction are based on "multiple pieces of consistent evidence," such as seized documents and telephone recordings, rendering the allegation of persecution "devoid of any foundation."

Extradition complies with treaties between Brazil and Italy

The opinion reinforces that the extradition request meets all the requirements set forth in Italian procedural law and the Brazil-Italy Treaty. The prosecutor highlighted that Zambelli is “only formally an Italian citizen”, without residence, social ties or interests in the country.

Sources close to the Brazilian government claim that the Italian judiciary "shows no willingness to defend a criminal who claimed to be untouchable." According to allies, the successive rulings in Italy weaken the narrative of persecution and point to a likely extradition.

Conviction and escape from Brazil

In May, Zambelli fled Brazil to avoid serving a 10-year prison sentence. imposed by the Supreme Federal Court for her involvement in the hacking of the National Council of Justice (CNJ) system. According to the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office, she ordered the hacking "freely, consciously, and voluntarily," hiring hacker Walter Delgatti Neto to alter official information.

The congresswoman was arrested in Rome after her name was added to Interpol's list. On the 8th, the Italian Court of Cassation — the country's highest court — denied her request for house arrest, keeping her in prison until the final judgment of the extradition process.

Political support and appeal to the IACHR

The case reached the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), brought by 15 congressmen allied with Jair Bolsonaro, including Flávio Bolsonaro and Rogério Marinho. They allege violations of international treaties and arbitrary arrest, a claim also rejected by the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office.

Zambelli has been detained in Rebibbia, on the outskirts of Rome, for three months and has accumulated 31 unexcused absences from the Chamber of Deputies. Meanwhile, the impeachment proceedings remain stalled in the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ).