After spending more than 14 months incarcerated, footballer Dani Alves was released from Brians 2 prison upon paying bail.

However, his newfound freedom comes with constraints, as the Barcelona High Court has imposed precautionary measures. Alves has surrendered both passports, must report weekly to authorities, and is prohibited from leaving Spain.

El Espanol consulted Juan Gonzalo Ospina, a lawyer from Ospina Abogados, regarding Alves‘ potential duration of freedom. Ospina outlined the lengthy judicial process ahead, involving appeals from the defence, victim, and prosecution.

Is Alves’ freedom indefinite?

Alves has been provisionally released due to the ongoing appeals process, pending further action by the High Court of Justice of Catalonia, which could take up to six months.

Following this, further appeals may extend the process, potentially involving the Supreme Court and even the Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights.

According to Ospina, Alves could face a return to prison within 18 to 24 months.

The timeline for Alves’ legal journey is detailed as follows:

Appeal to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia:

• Timeframe: Approximately six months.

Possible appeal to the Supreme Court:

• Timeframe: Between six months and one year.

Appeal for Amparo before the Constitutional Court:

• Timeframe: Variable, with no impact on the prison sentence

Appeal to the European Court of Human Rights:

• Timeframe: Variable, with no impact on the prison sentence

Alves is currently living at home in Barcelona and has reconnected with his wife, which many have seen as a surprise given how vocal she was in her statements about Alves during the initial phase of the ordeal.

With the appeal to the High Court of Justice now underway, Alves is facing a wait to see if he will be forced to return to prison in Barcelona.

For the victim, it merely delays any sense of justice she may have, with the courts initially finding the former Barcelona defender guilty.