( CNN ) -- Diplomatic tension between Brazil and Italy heightened Thursday after Brazil 's Supreme Tribunal freed a fugitive wanted for multiple killings in Italy in the 1970s . The high court 's decision appeared to put an end to years of wrangling over the fate of Cesare Battisti , who was condemned to life in prison in Italy for four murders he denies committing while a member of an extremist left-wing group . Italy 's foreign ministry responded to the Wednesday night ruling with a promise to take the issue to the International Court of Justice in The Hague , Netherlands . `` I can not but comment that today 's ruling by Brazil 's highest judicial body , apart from offending the right to justice of the victims of Battisti 's crimes , appears to run contrary to the obligations stated in the international accords that bind our two countries , which , moreover , have age-old ties of friendship and shared blood , '' Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said . The Brazilian judges found , by a vote of 6-3 , that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 's decision to deny Battisti 's extradition was `` an act of national sovereignty '' that the high court could not reverse . Battisti was a member of the Armed Proletarians for Communism , or PAC , guerrilla group in Italy . He is alleged to have participated in a number of crimes , which led to his incarceration . He escaped from an Italian prison in 1981 and was granted asylum in France during the presidency of Francois Mitterrand . The so-called Mitterrand Doctrine gave asylum to all Italian militants who renounced the armed struggle . In 1998 , Battisti was tried and convicted in absentia of the four killings . For several years , France and Italy were embroiled in diplomatic spats over extradition requests . Battisti later fled to Mexico , where he continued his work as a writer of thriller novels , and subsequently to Brazil . In Brazil , his fate was oftentimes unclear . In January 2009 , the Brazilian Supreme Tribunal granted refugee status to Battisti . But later it reversed course and supported extradition , giving then-President Lula the final say . `` Italy may not like it , but will have to respect it , '' Lula said at the time . `` This person is being accused of a crime which took place in 1978 , and his accuser no longer exists to prove the veracity of the facts . '' Lula sided with the Italian 's claims that the conviction against him was politically motivated , and in the last days of his administration rejected the extradition . Italy protested . `` What is at stake here is an act of sovereignty of the president , '' Judge Luiz Fux said . `` The Italian government has litigated against the Federal Republic of Brazil . '' The point the majority made was that they were not ruling on the Battisti 's culpability in the crimes , but whether the court had the power to overrule Lula . Another judge , Ricardo Lewandowski , said that when he studied the original request for extradition , he was convinced that Battisti had indeed committed the crimes . `` But right now , this is not the issue at stake , '' he said . `` I understand that the president made a political act , an act of government , which is characterized by broader discretion . '' Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi `` learned with deep regret '' about the court 's decision , his office said . `` The decision does take into account the legitimate expectations of the justice of the Italian people and especially of the family of Battisti 's victims , '' his office said in a statement . Armed Proletarians for Communism was one of Italy 's home-grown left-wing armed groups of the 1970s . Like the infamous Red Brigades , they committed politically motivated murders on behalf of what they saw as working-class ideals . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report .
Cesare Battisti faced life in prison in Italy for four alleged murders . The Brazilian court upheld a decision to reject extradition . TL;DR