The First Session of the Court of Appeal in Rome rejected, this Tuesday (10), the request from Carla Zambelli's defense to replace the panel of judges that analyzes the extradition process of the former federal deputy, requested by Brazil.
The decision was made in a closed-door session. Zambelli participated in the hearing via videoconference from the Rebibbia women's penitentiary, where she has been detained since July 2025. Her presence was not initially planned, but was requested by the defense, which caused a delay of almost three hours in the start of the session due to the need to summon an interpreter.
According to lawyer Angelo Alessandro Sammarco, the defense intends to appeal to the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the Italian justice system.
"We have up to 15 days to file an appeal," Sammarco stated.
Hearing on extradition takes place this Wednesday (11)
Despite Tuesday's decision, the hearing on the merits of the extradition is still scheduled for Wednesday (11), at 10 am local time (6 am in Brasília).
The defense argues that Zambelli is the target of political and judicial persecution in Brazil. It also questions the conditions of the Brazilian prison system, requesting information about where the former parliamentarian would serve her sentence if extradited.
In December 2025, Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes sent an 11-page report to the Italian Justice system detailing the women's penitentiary in the Federal District, known as Colmeia. The document points to access to health and education for the inmates and includes photos of the unit's interior. However, the defense stated that the images do not show the bathroom or the specific cell designated for Zambelli.
Convictions in Brazil
Zambelli was convicted in two cases before the Supreme Federal Court, both of which have become final and unappealable.
In the first case, she received a ten-year prison sentence for hiring a hacker to insert a false arrest warrant against Minister Alexandre de Moraes into the justice system. In the second case, she was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for pointing a gun at and chasing a man in São Paulo on the eve of the second round of the 2022 presidential elections.
The former congresswoman resigned from her mandate on December 14, 2025, after the Chamber's Constitution and Justice Committee approved her impeachment process. Although the plenary decided to maintain her mandate, the Supreme Federal Court annulled the session. Subsequently, Zambelli submitted a letter of resignation.
Last October, the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office expressed its support for the extradition.
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