The Supreme Court of Brazil began a virtual trial on Friday to analyze the request for the release of the former soccer player Robson de Souza ‘Robinho’, in prison since last March on a rape conviction, and the session was suspended after a judge voted against the habeas corpus.
Judge Luiz Fux, rapporteur of the case, voted against the release arguing that in the order of imprisonment of Robinho “There is no apparent violation of constitutional norms,” as claimed by the defence of the former player of Real Madrid, Milan and Manchester City, among others.
No date set to resume the case
The trial was immediately suspended after another judge requested a hearing and there is currently no date to resume the analysis of the case.
Robinho was admitted to a prison in the state of São Paulo on March 22 after a Brazilian court upheld the nine-year prison sentence he was given in Italy for a gang rape committed in 2013.
The attacker’s lawyers have filed a writ of habeas corpus requesting the release of their client until the Supreme Court makes a final decision on whether the sentence handed down by the Italian courts can be served in Brazil.
The defense maintains that it has the right to appeal.
The defense claims that Robinho, 40, He still has the right to appeal to higher courts, so his sentence cannot be considered final and definitive.
The former footballer He was convicted in Italy in 2017but Robinho could not be imprisoned then because before the conclusion of the trial he returned to Brazil, where the Constitution prohibits the extradition of its nationals.
The Italian authorities have asked the Brazilian courts to approve the conviction and, consequently, order the former footballer to be imprisoned so that he can serve his sentence in his country of origin.
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Following the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice to ratify the sentence, Robinho was taken to the Tremembé prison, in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo.
