A Barcelona court has granted conditional release to Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, who was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for sexual assault against a woman in Spain.
After serving approximately 15 months in prison, Alves will be released on bail of 1 million euros ($1.08 million) and must comply with conditions including weekly court check-ins, staying at least 1 kilometer away from the victim and avoiding all contact with her.
Alves, held at Brains-2 Prison near Barcelona, is expected to be released after posting bail.
The footballer was convicted on Feb. 22, with additional penalties including five years of police monitoring, nine years of a restraining order from the victim and a 150,000 euro fine.
While his appeal is still pending in the higher court, his request for conditional release has been approved after being rejected four times previously.
The incident occurred on Dec. 30, 2022, in the restroom of an entertainment center in Barcelona, where Alves allegedly sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman.
He was arrested on Jan. 20, 2023, upon his arrival from Mexico to Barcelona and subsequently detained by the court.
Alves, who played for clubs like Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and Sao Paulo, had his contract terminated by the Mexican team UNAM following his arrest.
The 40-year-old footballer admitted to lying in his initial statements to protect his marriage, ultimately confessing to the sexual encounter.
He has since been transferred from Brains-1 Prison to Brains-2 Prison for security reasons.
