The Brazilian Supreme Court voted, with five votes for and four against, in favour of the extradition of former Italian terrorist of Pac Cesare Battisti, condemned in absence to life imprisonment for four different murders. The judges agreed that Battisti’s crimes did not have a political nature and so he cannot be considered a political refugee, as last January the Brazilian justice minister Tarso Genro had granted Battisti.

The vote of the President of the court, Gilmar Mendes, was determining. “I voted for the extradition. No one can compared these premeditated crimes to political ones”, said Mendes, before having a short break. The decision of the court does not imply Battisti’s automatic extradition. After the break, the judges will decide if the last word concerning the status of political refugee has to be left to the Supreme Court or the Government, i.e. to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. As soon as the news of Battisti’s extradition arrived in the Lower chamber, both the majority and opposition parties applauded.

“The unanimous applause of the Lower Chamber doesn’t need any comments”, said the on-duty president Maurizio Lupi. Olga D’Antona asked to speak and said that the decision of the Brazilian Supreme Court was a “win for Italy”. But now, the Pd MP, widow of Massimo D’Antona, asked the government to take action also for the extradition of Marina Petrella who at the moment is in France.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute