the federal deputy Carla Zambelli, sentenced to 10 years in prison in Brazil, said she expected “more” from the Italian government. The statement was made in an interview with the newspaper the Republic, published this Wednesday (30), one day after his arrest in Rome.
Zambelli is being held in the Rebibbia penitentiary in the Italian capital, where she was found after nearly two months on the run. She was convicted by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for involvement in the hacking of the National Council of Justice (CNJ) system.
In the interview, the parliamentarian said that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro had discussed her situation with Vice Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, but that there had been no concrete response from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. "I expected something more. From Salvini, but also from Meloni, who is a friend of Trump. And Trump knows what's happening in Brazil," she declared.
According to Salvini's advisors, there is a plan to visit Zambelli in prison. Meloni, however, has never publicly commented on the case.
The congresswoman stated that she chose Italy because she is Italian. "I came to Italy because I'm Italian and I want to continue living here. No one guaranteed me impunity," she said. She also explained why she didn't stay in the United States. "I have many health problems, and healthcare in the United States is very expensive."
Zambelli denied any crimes and again alleged political persecution. "I have nothing to hide," she said. When asked about voluntarily returning to Brazil, she was emphatic: "I don't know how I would survive. I have many health problems; I suffer from syncope."
The parliamentarian's defense has not yet commented on possible extradition requests.
