Battisti will not serve a life sentence if extradited from Brazil.
Italy has removed one of the legal obstacles to the extradition of Cesare Battisti and has committed to not placing him under a life sentence should he be returned to the authorities in Rome; this confirmation came from the Undersecretary (a kind of deputy minister) of the Ministry of Justice, Cosimo Ferri; according to bilateral treaties between the two countries, Brazil can only expel someone convicted by Italy if the sentence imposed respects the limits established by its legislation, that is, 30 years in prison.
Ansa Agency - Italy has removed one of the legal obstacles to the extradition of Cesare Battisti and has pledged not to sentence him to life imprisonment should he be returned to the authorities in Rome.
The confirmation came from the Undersecretary (a kind of deputy minister) of the Ministry of Justice, Cosimo Ferri, during an interview with the newspaper "Il Giornale," and could serve as an incentive for the Brazilian government to order Battisti's extradition.
According to bilateral treaties between the two countries, Brazil can only expel a person convicted by Italy if the sentence imposed respects the limits established by its legislation, that is, 30 years in prison.
"Italy, through its Ministry of Justice, formally commits to ensuring that Brazilian law is respected. If Battisti is extradited, as we hope, he will serve a 30-year prison sentence, not a life sentence," said Ferri.
According to the undersecretary, the government has already sent a letter to the Italian Embassy in Brasília giving formal guarantees that the 30-year limit will be respected, since life imprisonment is not provided for under Brazilian law. "This decision would protect the interests of both countries," he added.
A former member of the far-left militia Armed Proletarians for Communism (PAC), the Italian was sentenced to life imprisonment in his country for four murders and involvement with terrorism in the 1970s, but, claiming political persecution, he fled to avoid prison.
As a fugitive, Battisti passed through France and Mexico before arriving in Brazil, where he was nearly extradited by a decision of the Supreme Federal Court (STF). However, a decree signed by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the last day of his second term as president granted the Italian permission to remain in the country.
Last week, he was arrested in Corumbá (MS), trying to enter Bolivia with the equivalent of R$ 23 in foreign currency, and ended up being accused of currency evasion. Released two days later, Battisti claims that the money was not only his, but also that of two friends who were with him, and that his objective in the neighboring country was to buy leather clothing, wine, and fishing equipment.