Football Leaks verdict to be delivered today in Lisbon | OneFootball

The reading of the verdict in the Football Leaks case, in which Rui Pinto is the defendant, is scheduled for this Wednesday at the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon. The decision will be made public starting at 2:00 PM, in a procedure that encompasses hundreds of crimes and several national and international entities.

Rui Pinto is accused of a total of 241 crimes, including 201 of qualified unlawful access, 22 of aggravated breach of correspondence, and 18 of computer damage. Among those targeted are, besides Benfica, other football clubs, the League, private companies, law firms, judicial magistrates and the Public Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Tax Authority and the National Internal Security Network.

The trial culminates today in a long procedural journey. In March of last year, the Central Criminal Investigation Court sent the defendant to trial and applied the amnesty law approved in 2023 in the context of the World Youth Days, removing 134 crimes of breach of correspondence from the process as they were allegedly committed before the defendant turned 30.

This case adds to convictions already finalized. In September 2023, Rui Pinto was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon to four years in prison with a suspended sentence for attempted extortion, aggravated breach of correspondence, and unlawful access. In November 2023, he was also sentenced in France to six months in prison with a suspended sentence for illegal access to electronic messages from Paris Saint-Germain.

The reading of the verdict is followed with great anticipation, given the media and judicial impact of the Football Leaks case, which revealed internal practices of clubs, agents, and institutions in professional football. The decision of the panel of judges could be decisive in the debate on cybercrimes, data protection, and the legal status of those who disclose information obtained by illicit means.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.