(CNN Spanish) — Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves was released on bail this afternoon after posting the US$1.1 million bail required by the court that sentenced him to four years and six months in prison in February for sexually assaulting a woman. of 2022.
His departure from the Bryans 2 Prison Centre, where he has been held since January 2023, took place at around 4:25pm local time amid huge media anticipation.
Accompanied by several agents of the Mossos d'Esquadra – Catalonia's regional police – and his lawyer Inés Guardiola, the player left the prison without giving any statement to the journalists gathered at the scene.
Dani Alves, accompanied by his lawyer Inés Guardiola, leaves the Brians 2 prison in Barcelona on March 25, 2024. (Credit: LUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
After his temporary release, Article 21 of the Barcelona Provincial Court stipulates that the player may not leave the country as a precautionary measure. Indeed, his lawyer handed the court two of his passports last Thursday: a Spanish one and a Brazilian one. He shall appear before this judicial department weekly and as many times as the judicial officer may require, prohibiting him from contacting the victim or approaching him at a distance of less than one kilometer. Judges warn that if these measures are not observed, their decision may be reversed.
When the appeals presented by each party against the sentence handed down in the first instance were examined, the decision to temporarily release Alves was taken by a majority, but not a consensus, of the judges who heard him between 5 and 7 February. A magistrate voted against the decision, saying the flight risk was “higher because the sentence could be increased on appeal” and that bail was higher, “which was not a deterrent.” The accused are interested in leaving Spain for Brazil, which does not deport its nationals except for naturalized ones.”
For their part, the prosecutor's office and private prosecutor announced they would appeal the decision, although doing so would not have any suspensive effect on the judicial decision, meaning Alves would remain free until a final sentence is handed down.
