Leonardo Bertulazzi escapes house arrest
Leonardo Bertulazzi, a 74-year-old former member of the Italian terrorist group Red Brigades, escaped from house arrest in Buenos Aires while awaiting extradition to Italy, nos.nl reported.
Interpol was prepared to arrest the fugitive and transfer him to Italy, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The escape occurred just hours after courts rejected his final legal appeal against extradition.
The rope descent in Buenos Aires
Bertulazzi removed his electronic monitoring anklet and tampered with the device so it would continue registering body temperature, avoiding immediate suspicion. He then walked to a fifth-floor apartment balcony in central Buenos Aires.
Using a rope and climbing harness, he lowered himself down before scaling a metal fence, the Argentine newspaper La Nación reported. Security camera footage captured him falling onto the pavement and remaining motionless briefly before disappearing.
Bertulazzi received a sentence for Red Brigades crimes
Italian authorities sentenced Bertulazzi in absentia in 1977 to 27 years in prison. His conviction stemmed from participation in a criminal organization and involvement in the kidnapping of ship’s engineer Pietro Costa.
The Red Brigades operated as an Italian Marxist terrorist group throughout the 1970s and 1980s, carrying out multiple high-profile kidnappings and assassinations. Their operations included the 1978 abduction and murder of former Aldo Moro.
Authorities offer reward for information on the fugitive
Argentine authorities offered a reward equivalent to approximately 12,000 euros for information leading to the arrest of the fugitive.
“Interpol was already ready to arrest him and bring him to Italy,” Corriere della Sera reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Leonardo Bertulazzi initially detained in Argentina?
Argentine authorities detained Bertulazzi in August 2024 after revoking the refugee status he had held since 2004.
How long was the prison sentence handed down in Italy?
An Italian court sentenced Bertulazzi in absentia to 27 years in prison for his role in the 1977 kidnapping of Pietro Costa and his work with the Red Brigades.
What was the reward amount set for information?
The Argentine government established a bounty of roughly 12,000 euros for tips leading to the capture of the 74-year-old fugitive.
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