Brazilian footballer Dani Alves was granted provisional release on bail by decision of a Spanish court held on Tuesday, March 19.
This measure has been taken while the legal appeals against his conviction for raping a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub are being resolved.
As agreed by the Barcelona Court, Alves must pay a bail of 1 million euros and his Spanish and Brazilian passports will be revoked.
In addition, he is ordered to stay away from the rape victim, for which he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, a sentence that is still being appealed.
In a hearing held on Tuesday the 19th in Barcelona, Alves had requested his release while awaiting confirmation of his sentence, ensuring that he would not try to escape.
Alves’ lawyer, Inés Guardiola, stated, for her part, that her client had been in provisional prison since January 2023, so he should not continue in jail.
To do this, he argued, among other points, that Alves has already served a quarter of the sentence that the court imposed on him at the end of February 2024 and also assured that he would not escape.
The defense also proposed possible measures to facilitate his departure, such as the deposit of a bond of 50 thousand euros (about 54 thousand dollars) or that the footballer’s two passports be withdrawn.
Alves, who appeared from prison via videoconference, assured the judges that he would not flee if he obtained provisional release and that he believes in justice, according to judicial sources.
The Prosecutor’s Office continued to oppose the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, among other teams, being released, considering that there is a high risk of escape. However, it was decided to grant him bail.
After a high-profile trial, section 21 of the Barcelona Court sentenced Dani Alves to four and a half years in prison for having raped a woman in the bathrooms of a nightclub in that Spanish city at the end of 2022.
The sentence also imposed an additional five years of supervised release, a restraining order against the victim for nine and a half years and the payment of compensation of 150 thousand euros (about 163 thousand dollars).
With information from AFP and EFE*.
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