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Former Red Brigades Member Escapes House Arrest in Argentina
Confirmed
In Short: A 74-year-old former member of Italy’s Red Brigades has escaped from house arrest in Argentina.
A 74-year-old former member of Italy’s Red Brigades, Leonardo Bertulazzi, escaped from house arrest in Buenos Aires, Argentina, using a rope and harness to climb down from a fifth-floor apartment.
The Red Brigades were a far-left armed group responsible for a wave of kidnappings and killings in Italy during the 1970s and 1980s, a period known as the “Years of Lead.”
Bertulazzi was arrested in Argentina in 2002 and granted refugee status until 2024, when it was revoked by Argentina’s courts.
He was identified as a senior member of the group and linked to the logistical planning of the 1978 kidnapping and murder of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
Argentina’s Security Ministry has offered a reward of 20 million pesos (about $13,000) for information leading to his capture.
Bertulazzi’s escape prompted a nationwide search, with authorities emphasizing the seriousness of his crimes.
What this adds
Bertulazzi was a member of the Genoa branch of the Red Brigades, and his escape occurred shortly before his planned extradition.
What's confirmed
- Argentina’s Security Ministry has offered a reward of 20 million pesos (about $13,000) for information leading to his capture.
- A 74-year-old former member of Italy’s far-left Red Brigades has escaped from house arrest in Argentina by climbing down from a fifth-floor apartment using a harness and rope, prompting a nationwide search.
- Bertulazzi belonged to the Red Brigades, a far-left organisation responsible for a series of violent attacks during the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1978 kidnapping and murder of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro.
- He was first arrested in Argentina in 2002 but was later granted refugee status, which Argentine authorities revoked in 2024, paving the way for his rearrest in August of that year.
- 4, 2002 after being arrested the previous day in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Leonardo Bertulazzi, a former member of Italy’s Red Brigades, was under house arrest after Argentina’s Supreme Court approved his extradition last year to serve a 27-year prison sentence in Italy.
- Leonardo Bertulazzi, 74, a former member of Italy’s Red Brigades, escaped house arrest in Buenos Aires as he awaited extradition to Italy to serve a 27-year prison sentence.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.