Following his conviction for assault, former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves will be provisionally released from jail pending an appeal, upon payment of a one million euros ($1.08 million) bail, as ruled by a Barcelona court on Wednesday.
This decision comes after Alves’ lawyer requested his release, citing that he had already served a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
In granting his release, the court stipulated that Alves must pay the bail amount and surrender his Spanish and Brazilian passports. Additionally, he is required to remain in Spain and report to court on a weekly basis.
Although public prosecutors opposed his release, citing a high-flight risk, the court ruled in favor of granting provisional release.
Alves, a highly acclaimed footballer who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, was convicted of assaulting a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022, leading to his sentencing on February 22.
Despite his lawyers’ appeal, arguing that there was consensual interaction between Alves and the victim, the court maintained that the victim did not consent to the subsequent events, emphasizing her testimony of anguish and terror.