From MercoPress · · 1m
Italian Ex-Brigade Member Escapes Buenos Aires
Italian ex-Red Brigades member abseils from fifth floor in Buenos Aires to avoid extradition.
In brief
Italian ex-Red Brigades member abseils from fifth floor in Buenos Aires to avoid extradition. Leonardo Bertulazzi, 74, escaped house arrest in Buenos Aires by abseiling to avoid extradition to Italy after his last appeal was rejected. Originally reported by MercoPress.
Escape Attempt
Leonardo Bertulazzi, 74, escaped house arrest in Buenos Aires by abseiling from a fifth floor.
Method of Escape
He fitted a monitoring tag onto a device mimicking leg temperature, pressure, and humidity using a plastic tube, pork, and electrical devices.
Arrested Accomplices
Argentine police arrested a Uruguayan man and a Salvadoran woman suspected of aiding his escape.
Family Statement
His daughter says he escaped because he feared life in prison without a new trial.
“My father escaped because he had no choice. We feared that once extradited he would spend the rest of his life in prison, without the right to a new trial”
Legal History
Bertulazzi was convicted in absentia in Italy for 27 years over 1977 kidnapping and 1978 Moro murder.
Current Status
His last appeal was rejected on November 3, 2026, after Italy offered retrial guarantees.
The bottom line
Leonardo Bertulazzi, 74, escaped house arrest in Buenos Aires by abseiling to avoid extradition to Italy after his last appeal was rejected.
