Italy's Cesare Battisti Detained on the Border of Brazil and Bolivia

10/05/2017 - 12h27

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LETÍCIA CASADO

CAMILA MATTOSO

FROM BRASÍLIA LAURA TOLEDO

FROM CORUMBÁ

On Wednesday, October 4, Italy's Cesare Battisti, sentenced for terrorism in his country, was detained on the border of Brazil and Bolivia, in the city of Corumbá (MS).

Police officers told Folha that Battisti was taken to the Federal Police headquarters in Corumbá as he was carrying more than R$ 10,000 (US$ 3,100) in cash - the amount is above that allowed by law.

The police also said that Battisti did not have any documents authorizing him to carry the money. Folha verified that the fact configures a violation, but not a crime of money smuggling.

Reports obtained by Folha show that, when Battisti tried to cross the border into Bolivia, he had not declared the money.

The Federal Police say that Battisti was detained in a Bolivian taxi as he was trying to leave the country.

It is expected that Battisti will have a custody hearing in 48 hours at most. The judge will decide if he will be released or not.

One of Battisti's lawyers went to the Federal Police headquarters in Corumbá but had not made any official statement up until 8:00 p.m.

TERRORISM

Battisti received a life sentence in his own country as he was found guilty of four murders in the 1970s, when he was a member of the Armed Proletarians for Communism political party, a far-left group.

Battisti fled from Italy and arrived in Brazil in 2004. He was arrested in 2007 and Brazil's Supreme Court authorized his extradition in 2009; however it was rejected by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2010 in the last day of his administration.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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