Renato Cortese: Cassazione to review kidnapping conviction

The Italian Supreme Court (Cassazione) is scheduled to review the case of Renato Cortese on October 20. The legal proceedings stem from a May 2013 police operation in Casal Palocco, Rome, intended to apprehend Mukhtar Ablyazov, a Kazakh citizen wanted by Interpol. During the raid, authorities instead detained Ablyazov’s wife, Alma Shalabayeva, and their minor daughter.

Following the discovery of a false passport, Shalabayeva and her child were repatriated to Kazakhstan. This event triggered a decade-long legal battle and intense media scrutiny regarding whether the Italian government yielded to Kazakh political pressure. While initial investigations suggested high-level political involvement, the legal focus shifted to the police officers involved.

Renato Cortese, the former head of Rome’s Mobile Squad, has faced multiple trials over thirteen years. After various convictions and acquittals, a recent ruling in Florence sentenced the officers to four years in prison for kidnapping. The upcoming Cassazione hearing represents a critical juncture in this long-running judicial saga.