Dani Alves pays bail for release from jail in Spain while waiting appeal of rape conviction

The judges were split 2-1 on last weeks decision, with those in favour of granting Alves bail saying they believed the flight risk had lowered.Spains state prosecutors office in Barcelona on Friday asked a court to reconsider that decision, saying they believed the risk of Alves fleeing increased after he was found guilty. Alves lawyers are seeking his acquittal while prosecutors want his prison sentence increased to nine years.

Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves paid 1 million euros (USD 1.2 million) in bail to be released from prison while appealing a rape conviction, a Spanish court said Monday. Alves, who must hand over his passports, was expected to be released later Monday.

Alves last month was found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub in December 2022 and sentenced to four years, six months in prison. He denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial.

The 40-year-old Alves had spent the last 14 months in the Brians II prison located 45 minutes from Barcelona since he was detained preventively by authorities investigating the rape accusation against him. Last week, a court granted him the possibility to leave prison on bail after his other previous requests had been denied because he was deemed a flight risk. The judges were split 2-1 on last week's decision, with those in favour of granting Alves bail saying they believed the flight risk had lowered.

Spain's state prosecutor's office in Barcelona on Friday asked a court to reconsider that decision, saying they believed the risk of Alves fleeing increased after he was found guilty. They wanted Alves to remain jailed while awaiting his appeal.

Prosecutors also reminded the court that Brazil does not extradite its citizens when sentenced in other countries.

No date has been set for the appeals trial at a higher court in Barcelona. After that, the case could go to the Spanish Supreme Court in Madrid. Alves' lawyers are seeking his acquittal while prosecutors want his prison sentence increased to nine years. The victim's lawyer wants him jailed for 12 years.