A new request for the release of Edgardo Greco, an alleged member of the Calabrian mafia arrested in France after 17 years on the run, has been rejected by the Lyon Court of Appeal. His lawyer made this known. Edgardo Greco65, accused of belonging to the ‘Ndrangheta, was sentenced to life in prison in Italy in 2006 for a double murder, but escaped before his incarceration. He was finally arrested on 2 February 2023 in Saint-Etienne (Loire), where he worked in a pizzeria.
After a series of twists and turns, French courts gave the green light for his repatriation to Italy earlier this year, but a Prime Ministerial decree has yet to be issued. In the meantime, His lawyer is organizing a series of appeals in an attempt to secure his release. «The judicial supervision of Edgardo Greco, who has been detained for nothing for almost two years, would be more than sufficient (…) At his age and given his state of health, cannot he benefit from the right to be forgotten?» David Metaxas told AFP. The Lyon Court of Appeal has just denied him for the fourth time.
“A measure of judicial control or house arrest under electronic surveillance would be completely insufficient to prevent the risk of absconding mentioned, since Edgardo Greco opposes his extradition and has evaded his criminal responsibilities by living for several decades under a false identity », is explained in the decision. Edgardo Greco, considered “dangerous by Interpol”, he had been arrested thanks to the sharing of information with the Italian Carabinieri as part of the I-Can project (Interpol cooperation against the ‘Ndrangheta).