From this week on, congresspeople supporting the permanence of the Italian Cesare Battisti in Brazil will participate in several events supporting the militant. That initiative is a coordinated action by the Committee for the Liberation of Cesare Battisti, and they want to influence the Supreme Court (STF) in the trial which will define if the Italian will stay in Brazil or be extradited to Italy.

Among the events being held by that Committee are the manifestations in front of the STF. Moreover, some deputies and senators will visit Battisti, currently in the Prison of Papuda (DF) and will participate in a hearing on the subject with the minister of justice, Tarson Genro, on this Tuesday (10).

On Thursday (5), some members of the Committees on Human Rights and Minorities of the Chamber and of the Senate held a preparatory meeting to those events and reaffirmed their support to the Italian. For the Deputy José Eduardo Cardozo (PT-SP), one of the participants of the meeting, it is necessary for the group to adopt “rational and emotional arguments” to mobilize society regarding that cause, and consequently, influence the judgment of STF. “Judges are men and women who think in the society and are influenced by it”, he said.

Political trial
Cardozo numbered several “facts” which, according to him, prove that the Italian trial of Battisti and the extradition request made by that government had political motivations and should not be considered by Brazil.

Among the “rational arguments” pointed out by Cardozo are the recognition by the Italian Judiciary that the crimes by which he is convicted are political; the “fact” that the European country was under an “exception regime”, during which that government itself would have disrespected the prevailing legislation; the fact that Battisti has been defended by default by the same lawyer who assisted Pietro Mutti, considered as the main accuser of Battisti.

Cardozo also quoted the declarations of authorities which would put the Brazilian capacity of challenging the Italian decision in doubt, such as the one made by the conservative Deputy Ettore Pirovano, who said that “Brazil is recognized by its dancers, and not by its jurists”.

Media opposition
That declaration was also considered offensive by the Deputy Luiz Couto (PT-PB), another participant of the meeting. He classified it as “another front of the fight”, in which they try to revert the supposed position of Brazilian media, which is favorable to Battisti’s extradition.

The deputy reminded that the main media is contrary to the cause, such as it was in the case of the Cuban boxers. “I hope that after the knock-out, it changes its opinion”, he said, referring to the critics made to Lula’s government when the Federal Police extradited the two boxers who deserted the delegation of their country during the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, in 2007. Last month, Erislandy Lara, one of them, declared that he had returned to Cuba by himself.

Difficult reversion
The Deputy Chico Alencar (Psol-RJ) considers that it is “difficult” to convince the ministers of STF, since they would be under a “more conservative trend”, and by the fact that the extradition of Battisti is not a popular-impact subject. “The case is not relevant to the simple man, to the farmer, to our people”, he said.

Report - Rodrigo Bittar
Editing - Paulo Cesar Santos
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda