Fugitive Brazilian Lawmaker Carla Zambelli Arrested in Italy
Carla Zambelli. X/@ZaphnnaphBR
July 30, 2025 Hour: 10:55 am
The far-right politician was sentenced by the Brazilian Supreme Court to 10 years in prison.
On Tuesday night, a joint operation by Interpol and Brazilian and Italian security forces arrested Brazilian lawmaker Carla Zambelli, who had been a fugitive in Italy after being sentenced by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court to 10 years in prison for a cyberattack on the National Justice Council (CNJ).
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Brazil’s Federal Police confirmed the arrest, indicating that Zambelli will be subject to extradition proceedings in accordance with Italian law and international agreements.
Zambelli, who was one of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s key allies until the October 2022 elections, fled Brazil in early June after an arrest warrant was issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
On May 14, 2025, the First Panel of the Supreme Court unanimously sentenced Zambelli for orchestrating a 2023 cyberattack against the judiciary’s IT system. The operation was carried out by hacker Walter Delgatti, who was also sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.
The text reads, “Greetings to Italian legislator Angelo Bonelli! He discovered and gave Carla Zambelli’s address to the police, and they arrested her! A left-wing Italian congressman does more for Brazil than the fake local patriots!”
The Supreme Court determined that the attack, which occurred in the context of the 2022 elections, aimed to undermine the judiciary and incite anti-democratic actions.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ruling included the loss of Zambelli’s congressional seat, which she had retained following the 2022 elections, and ordered her and Delgatti to jointly pay approximately US$350,000 in collective moral damages.
The judicial proceedings revealed that Zambelli ordered the cyber operation carried out by Delgatti, who confessed to acting as the executor. Her arrest in Italy marks a new chapter in a case that has drawn significant attention both in Brazil and internationally due to its political and legal implications.
Zambelli’s relationship with the Bolsonaro family deteriorated after the elections, leaving her without the political support that had long defined her career.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
