Dani Alves was provisionally released on bail

Dani Alves, convicted of rape in Spain, was provisionally released from prison this Monday after paying bail of 1 million euros ($1.1 million).

The former Barcelona player, dressed in a white high-necked t-shirt, black coat and jeans, walked out the door of the Brians 2 prison, located about 40 km from Barcelona, ​​where he had been held since the end of January 2023.

After leaving the prison, he got into a waiting vehicle to leave, without commenting to the numerous journalists gathered there.

Hours before, the 40-year-old athlete had finally deposited the bail that the Barcelona Court had imposed on him.

The court had granted him the measure on Wednesday, but until this Monday the player had not been able to pay the bail that will allow him to wait in freedom until the appeals against his sentence are resolved.

“The bail of one million euros is declared enough (…) and consequently the freedom is decreed” for Alves, the court noted in an order.

The Brazilian, with a successful career in teams such as FC Barcelona, ​​Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, was also imposed other measures by the court to be released provisionally until there is a final ruling, such as the withdrawal of his two passports, the obligation to appearing weekly at the Court, not leaving Spain or being prohibited from approaching the victim.

Alves was sentenced in February by that court to four and a half years in prison for having raped a woman in the bathrooms of a nightclub in that Spanish city at the end of 2022.

The court also sentenced him to five additional years of probation, a restraining order against the victim for nine and a half years, and payment of compensation of 150,000 euros (about $163,000).

The sentence was appealed by both Alves’s defense, which during the trial requested his acquittal, and by the Prosecutor’s Office, which wants to stiffen the sentence. These appeals can take months to resolve.

The Barcelona Court granted provisional release one day after a hearing in which the Brazilian’s defense requested this measure, alleging that his client had already served a quarter of the sentence received.

This circumstance would enable him, in the event of a final sentence, to begin to have prison benefits.

At the end of the brief hearing, Alves, who appeared from prison via videoconference, assured the court that he would not flee and that he believes in justice.

These arguments did not convince either the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the private prosecution, who continued to oppose the former Brazilian international leaving prison, since they continued to consider the risk of escape to be high.

But the court, which had supported this reason to reject Alves’ demands to be released during the investigation, now considered that “the passage of time” is a “mitigating factor” of previous criteria, and noted that the risk of flight ” has slowed down.”

Despite his successful career in elite football where he holds the record for the number of trophies won, Alves took days to raise the million euros of his bail. Neymar’s father, who helped him financially after his arrest, denied helping him now that he is already convicted.

According to his defense, the footballer’s financial situation was greatly affected by his arrest in January 2023, which implied, among others, the suspension of his contract with the Mexican Pumas and he is still waiting to earn large amounts after several litigations. with the Spanish Treasury.

The magistrates recognized that Alves’ true financial situation “is not known”, but that it can be presumed that he still has a “comfortable financial solvency.”