ating ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁independence ▁movement . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁government ▁sust ained ▁that ▁her ▁sentence ▁was ▁appropriate ▁given ▁the ▁serious ▁nature ▁of ▁her ▁cr imes , ▁her ▁supp or ters ▁argued ▁that ▁her ▁har sh ▁sentence ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁un pop ular ▁political ▁belief s . ▁Bar ald ini ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁numerous ▁high - security ▁facilities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁the ▁not orious ▁bas ement ▁unit ▁of ▁a ▁Federal ▁Pr ison ▁in ▁Lex ington , ▁Kentucky ▁which ▁hous ed ▁two ▁other ▁women , ▁Susan ▁Ros enberg ▁and ▁Ale j andr ina ▁Tor res , ▁also ▁conv icted ▁of ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated ▁cr imes . ▁The ▁unit ▁was ▁sharp ly ▁critic ized ▁by ▁Am n esty ▁International ▁and ▁its ▁closure ▁was ▁eventually ▁ordered ▁by ▁U . S . ▁District ▁Judge ▁Bar r ington ▁Parker . ▁After ▁being ▁transferred ▁to ▁Italy ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁her ▁sentence , ▁she ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁thanks ▁to ▁a ▁p ardon ▁law ▁approved ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁months ▁by ▁the ▁Italian ▁Parliament . ▁Italian ▁journalist ▁Lu cio ▁Man is co ▁acted ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Sil via ▁Bar ald ini ' s ▁extr ad ition ; ▁he ▁was ▁then ▁a ▁foreign ▁correspond ent ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁public ▁television ▁channel ▁R ai ▁ 3 ▁( 1 9 8 7 – 1 9 9 2 ). ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Bar ald ini ▁was ▁born