Italian communist murderer on the run since 1981 arrives back in Rome after intervention by South American country's new 'Tropical Trump' president
An Italian left-wing guerrilla murderer who spent four decades on the run has landed in Rome today after being expelled from Bolivia, the Daily Mail reports, citing authorities.
Cesare Battisti escaped from an Italian prison in 1981 while awaiting trial on four counts of murder allegedly committed when he was a member of the Armed Proletarians for Communism.
Battisti, now 64, was arrested on Saturday in Santa Cruz, Bolivia's largest city, where he was located by intelligence agents after using one of his mobile devices.
An Italian military aircraft carrying Battisti landed at Rome's Ciampino airport shortly after 11.30am local time, as snipers kept watch.
Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede were on hand to turn him over to prison authorities.
We've got him. And now he'll have to rot in jail. He's a communist terrorist. A killer. A coward,' Salvini said.
Battisti, who was not wearing handcuffs, smiled grimly as he was escorted off the plane by a dozen policemen.
He was expected to be taken to Rome's Rebibbia jail, where according to media reports he will begin life behind bars with six months solitary confinement.