Italian fugitive Leonardo Bertulazzi arrested in Argentina for kidnapping

Leonardo Bertulazzi, a 72-year-old Italian fugitive, was arrested in Buenos Aires after being wanted for decades for his involvement in a kidnapping orchestrated by the Red Brigades, a far-left militant group. He was sentenced in absentia in the 1970s for the abduction of Pietro Costa, a naval engineer, who was held for 81 days before a ransom was paid. Bertulazzi had previously been arrested in 2002 but was released after his extradition was blocked. In 2004, he was granted refugee status in Argentina, which was later revoked under the administration of President Javier Milei. The Argentine government stated that Bertulazzi's actions undermined democratic values and harmed many victims. His arrest was facilitated by collaboration between Argentine and Italian authorities, as well as Interpol. The Red Brigades were notorious for their violent actions during the 1970s and 1980s, including the kidnapping and murder of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. The ransom from Costa's kidnapping was reportedly used to finance the group's operations, including the infamous crime against Moro. Bertulazzi's lawyers are currently appealing to Argentina's national commission for refugees to prevent his extradition to Italy, where he faces a 27-year prison sentence. Previous attempts to extradite other Red Brigades members from France have been unsuccessful, highlighting the complexities of international law in cases involving historical political violence.