Italy Rules Zambelli Must Return to Serve 15-Year Term in Brazil

Italy approved the Zambelli extradition on Thursday, moving former Brazilian congresswoman Carla Zambelli a significant step closer to being returned to Brazil to serve prison sentences imposed by the country’s Supreme Court. The Rio Times, the Latin American financial news outlet, reports that the Rome Court of Appeal communicated its decision to the Brazilian embassy, though the case is not yet final — the defense has announced it will appeal.

Zambelli, a former federal lawmaker for Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party, has been held in Rome since July 2025 after fleeing Brazil when her last appeals were exhausted. She was placed on Interpol’s red notice at the request of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw both criminal cases against her at the Supreme Federal Tribunal.

The Convictions Behind the Zambelli Extradition

Zambelli’s primary conviction carries a ten-year sentence for the invasion of the National Council of Justice’s computer systems and forgery. Investigators determined she hired hacker Walter Delgatti Neto to insert fraudulent documents into the judiciary’s database, including a fabricated arrest warrant targeting Justice Moraes himself. The scheme was uncovered in 2023 and prosecuted directly before the Supreme Court.

A second conviction, handed down in August 2025 while Zambelli was already in Italian custody, added five years and three months for illegal firearm possession and unlawful coercion. That case stemmed from an incident on the eve of the 2022 presidential runoff in which Zambelli, armed, chased journalist Luan Araújo through the streets of São Paulo’s Jardins neighborhood after a verbal confrontation at a political rally.

What Comes Next in Italy

Defense attorney Fábio Pagnozzi called the ruling “senseless,” arguing the Rome court merely repeated the Brazilian prosecution’s claims without independent analysis. He said the defense will file two appeals to the Corte di Cassazione — Italy’s highest court — one contesting the extradition and another challenging the impartiality of the judges who heard the case. The first hearing could take three to five months.

Even if the Cassazione upholds the ruling, the final decision rests with Italy’s Justice Ministry, which must approve the physical transfer. The court noted that Zambelli’s dual Italian-Brazilian citizenship does not block extradition — on the contrary, it reinforces Brazil’s legal standing to request her return as a full citizen. Italy attached conditions: Brazil must hold Zambelli at the Colmeia women’s penitentiary in Brasília, guarantee legal access, and report periodically on her treatment. Her time served in Rome — nearly eight months — will count toward the Brazilian sentence.

The Political Dimension

Zambelli is one of the most prominent Bolsonaro-aligned figures to face prison following the Supreme Court’s broad prosecution of the former president’s circle over the January 8, 2023 insurrection and related cases. Before leaving Brazil, she posted a video declaring herself a “political exile.” The Italian court rejected her defense’s claim of political persecution, finding no evidence that the Brazilian proceedings violated due process.

The case is being closely watched because Italy is also considering the extradition of Eduardo Tagliaferro, a former electoral court official who leaked internal messages about Justice Moraes’s anti-disinformation operations. That case, also requested by Moraes, tests whether Italy views Brazil’s judiciary as politically independent — a question the Zambelli ruling has now answered in the affirmative, at least at the appellate level.