Brazil Keeps Ervin Mata in Custody, Rejects Release Request During Extradition Proceedings

Ervin Mata will remain in custody in Brazil after the Federal Supreme Court rejected his request for release during the extradition proceedings. The ruling in the case was detailed in a document obtained by Euronews Albania journalist Thimi Samarxhiu.

The court upheld the preventive detention order imposed to facilitate the Albanian citizen’s extradition. At the same time, it denied the defense’s request for the detention order to be lifted or replaced with other restrictive measures.

The decision was issued on July 21, 2026, by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur in extradition case No. 1,925. The request in these proceedings was submitted by the Government of the Republic of Albania.

Albanian authorities are seeking Ervin Mata’s extradition to prosecute him in connection with suspected drug trafficking offenses and the commission of criminal offenses as part of a criminal organization and structured criminal group. These offenses are stipulated in the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania.

The court document also provides a chronological account of the proceedings. The preventive detention order against Mata was issued on March 11, 2025, while Brazil’s Federal Police arrested him on April 25, 2026.

Following the arrest, the Federal Supreme Court conducted procedures to question the person sought for extradition. The defense filed its objections, seeking both the dismissal of the extradition request and the replacement of detention with alternative measures.

Ervin Mata’s lawyers argued that Albania had failed to comply with the legal deadline for formalizing the extradition request. They also claimed that other issues relating to jurisdiction over the alleged criminal offense should be considered.

The Brazilian Supreme Court rejected this claim. In the reasoning for the decision, Justice Alexandre de Moraes noted that documents showed the official extradition request had been registered with the Brazilian authorities on March 7, 2025. It was subsequently reaffirmed through Verbal Note No. 46/2026 from the Embassy of the Republic of Albania, forwarded on July 2, 2026.

According to the court, this documentation proves that the Albanian state has continuously maintained its interest in the extradition and that the procedural requirements have been met. The decision also cites the position of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Brazil, which supported granting the extradition request and opposed Ervin Mata’s release.

In its reasoning, the court described preventive detention as an essential measure in extradition proceedings. According to the decision, this measure ensures that the wanted person remains available to the authorities and makes it possible to enforce a potential ruling in favor of extradition.

Alexandre de Moraes concluded that there were no exceptional circumstances in this case that could justify lifting the detention order. Among the arguments he cited was the risk that the wanted person might flee.

In conclusion, Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court rejected the request to revoke the preventive detention order against Ervin Mata.

The court also decided not to replace detention with other security measures and rejected the defense’s requests for additional investigative actions.

As a result of this decision, Ervin Mata remains in custody in Brazil while the review of Albania’s request for his extradition continues.

The Brazilian Supreme Court’s decision concerns only the procedural measure applied during the extradition process. It does not constitute an assessment or ruling on Ervin Mata’s guilt or innocence regarding the charges brought by the Albanian authorities.