Italian court sets late October date for Carla Zambelli trial
The Rome Court of Appeal rescheduled the extradition hearing of former Brazilian deputy Carla Zambelli for October 27, 2026, following a lawyers' strike.
An Italian judicial decision has set a new timeline for a high-profile extradition case that tests the limits of international judicial cooperation between Brazil and European Union member states. The Rome Court of Appeal rescheduled the extradition hearing of former Brazilian federal deputy Carla Zambelli for October 27, 2026. The hearing, originally slated for late September, was delayed due to a nationwide strike by criminal defense lawyers in Italy.
The upcoming trial represents a critical juncture in Brazil's efforts to repatriate Zambelli, a prominent right-wing politician and close ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Zambelli fled Brazil in mid-2025 after being sentenced to prison by the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court. She was subsequently arrested in Rome in July 2025 following an Interpol red notice.
This specific proceeding in Rome focuses on a second extradition request from the Brazilian government, which stems from a conviction carrying a sentence of five years and three months in prison. The charges involve illegal possession of a firearm and the armed pursuit of a political opponent on the streets of São Paulo on the eve of the 2022 presidential election.
The legal battle has already exposed deep friction between the judicial systems of both nations. Earlier, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation annulled a prior decision by the Rome Court of Appeal that had authorized her extradition. The high court ordered the trial to be redone from scratch, demanding that the lower court secure precise, verifiable guarantees from Brazilian authorities regarding the medical care and specialized treatment Zambelli would receive while in Brazilian custody.
This came after a separate, first extradition request—linked to a ten-year sentence for hacking the electronic systems of Brazil's National Council of Justice—was outright blocked by Italy's Supreme Court. In that case, the Italian high court ruled that the conviction in Brazil was fundamentally flawed due to serious doubts regarding the impartiality of the presiding judge, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The outcome of the October 27 hearing will be closely watched by legal experts as a benchmark for how European courts balance treaty obligations against human rights and fair-trial concerns in highly polarized political environments.