Former Brazilian football star Dani Alves, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison last month on charges of rape, has requested temporary release from a court in Barcelona on Tuesday, pending the outcome of his appeal.
During a brief closed session, the prosecution expressed opposition to this request, citing a high risk of flight.
Alves’s lawyer, Inês Guardiola, stated that her client, who has been in custody since January 2023, has already served a quarter of his sentence as of February. She affirmed that he has no intention of fleeing and assured that he believes in justice, according to judicial sources.
The defense team also proposed depositing a sum of €50,000 or even surrendering Alves’s passport, according to the same sources.
The sources further added that Alves (40 years old), who appeared via video link from his prison in Barcelona, affirmed to the judges that he would not attempt to escape if granted temporary release. He also stated that he believes in justice.
On the other hand, the appeals filed by both the prosecution and Alves regarding the same verdict will be issued later and through a different court.
Alves was sentenced on February 22 to four and a half years in prison, along with a fine of €150,000 to his victim, on charges of raping a young woman in December 2022 at a nightclub in Barcelona.
The court also imposed five years of supervision on Alves upon release and barred him from approaching the victim for nine and a half years.
The prosecution had sought a nine-year prison term for the three-time UEFA Champions League winner, followed by ten years of supervision.