Tuesday 5 March 2019 16:38, UK
A court in Budapest has ordered the extradition to Portugal of a man linked to the Football Leaks whistleblower website.
The decision by the Budapest Metropolitan Court has already been appealed by the lawyers of Rui Pinto, who is wanted in his native Portugal for attempted extortion, illegal access to data and other crimes connected to the release of secret information about the financial dealings of top European football clubs, including Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Pinto told the court he fears for his own life and his family's, saying the case was "a matter of life or death. I ask you, please don't send me back to Portugal."
An appeals court is expected to issue a ruling within a few weeks. If the extradition is upheld, Portuguese authorities will have 10 days to take over custody of Pinto.
Pinto said he has been a "marked man" since Portuguese media had revealed his identity.
"Unfortunately, I can't trust the Portuguese authorities," said Pinto, who spoke with reporters during a break in the court proceedings and after the ruling was issued.
He said they had shown "a clear apathy" when it comes to investigating clubs and have been "completely biased" in cases involving football.
"A lot of European investigations were opened thanks to the revelations brought by Football Leaks and the medias involved in the Football Leaks," Pinto said in the court hallway, closely guarded by Hungarian police.
"At the moment, I think at least nine or 10 European countries are with me. The exception is Portugal and that explains everything."
