The trial against the former player begins in Spain with the defense being asked to cancel the case
When he announced public support for former President Jair Bolsonaro, Daniel Alves knew exactly where he stood and what the agenda promoted by the then re-election candidate was. Among these, the fight against human rights and the defense of what he calls “family values”, in which the supposedly “good citizens” who share the same principles are unconditional supporters of the thesis “the good criminal is a dead criminal” .
Here, in the dock of the rape accusation in Barcelona, the former player now appeals to human rights asking for the annulment of the trial, arguing that the Spanish authorities have disrespected fundamental guarantees. Thus the defense opened the first day of the trial, which could end with a nine-year prison sentence.
Paradoxically, Daniel Alves finds himself in a situation so distorted by the political current he supports in Brazil: that of being suspected of having committed an atrocious crime. Throughout his political career, Bolsonaro has stood out for preaching that human rights only serve to protect criminals. Defender of punitive logic, the former president has already said he is in favor of the death penalty, life imprisonment or chemical castration for rapists – even if he has also spoken of barbarism such as “I won’t rape you because you don’t deserve it”, aimed at a fellow parliamentarian.
The fact is that the logic “a good criminal is a dead criminal” simply ignores the guarantees claimed by Daniel Alves’ defense and a fair trial, as long as it does not involve a so-called “good citizen”. But thanks to human rights, the former player was able to pledge to pay a fine to reduce his sentence, if convicted, and change his story five times about what happened the night he was accused of rape.
Right at the start of the trial, the Spanish court rejected Daniel Alves’ request to annul the case, arguing that the defendant, detained for just over a year in Barcelona, had extensive defense rights, including two changes of legal representatives. The ones who violated the fundamental guarantees, however, were the friends and family of the former full-back, who revealed the identity of the alleged victim.
The point is that if he were not rich, famous and a guarantor of Bolsonarism, Daniel Alves would be summarily condemned by the political group he supports. But since he was accused of the crime in Spain, neither Jair Bolsonaro nor his sons, so visceral in the face of similar accusations in Brazil, have commented on the case involving the illustrious supporter.
Even if he is sentenced this week, Alves will still have the right to appeal at other levels, as happened with Robinho, who was finally convicted of rape in Italy. As long as they do not distort human rights according to convenience, they serve – or should serve – everyone, whether accused or whistleblower, celebrity or anonymous.
Source: Terra
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