Dani Alves released from prison pending appeal after paying €1 million bail

By SoccerSat Team

Dani Alves has paid €1 million in bail to be released from prison while appealing a rape conviction, a Spanish court said Monday. Alves, who will have to hand over his passports, is expected to be released later Monday. Last month, Alves was found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub in December 2022 and sentenced to four years and six months in prison. He denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial.

The 40-year-Old had spent the last 14 months in prison, 45 minutes from Barcelona, since he was detained as a precaution by the authorities investigating the rape allegations against him. Last week, a court granted him the possibility of leaving prison on bail, after all his other previous requests had been rejected because he was considered a flight risk. The judges were split into 2-1 on last week's decision, with those in favour of granting Alves bail saying they believed the flight risk had decreased. Spain’s state prosecutors in Barcelona asked the court to reconsider that decision.

On Friday, they said they believed the risk of Alves fleeing had increased after he was found guilty. They wanted Alves to remain in jail pending his appeal. Prosecutors also reminded the court that Brazil does not extradite its citizens while they are being sentenced in other countries. No date has been set for the appeal hearing at a high court in Barcelona. After that, the case could go to Spain's Supreme Court in Madrid. Alves' lawyers are seeking his acquittal, while prosecutors want his jail term increased to 9 years. The victim's lawyer wants him to serve 12 years.