Spanish courts slams €1m bail on Dani Alves
A Spanish court has decided to release Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves if he pays a bail of €1m and hands over his passports while awaiting the appeal against his conviction for raping a woman in Barcelona.
Alves was convicted in February and sentenced to four years and six months in prison for having raped the woman in a nightclub in 2022.
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The former Barcelona and Brazil international defender has been behind bars since being arrested in January 2023, with his prior requests to be let free on bail being denied because the court deemed him a flight risk.
To now go free, in addition to the bail money, Alves is also required to hand over his Brazilian and Spanish passports and is prohibited from leaving the country.
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Both Alves’ defence lawyer and the state prosecutor have appealed the conviction – his defence is seeking his acquittal, while the prosecutor wants his prison sentence increased to nine years.
There is no date yet for the new trial at a higher court in Barcelona, after which the case can then go to the Supreme Court in Madrid.