Former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini has been arrested in Rome. He is suspected of involvement in illegally issuing long-term visas to Russian citizens, La Repubblica reported.
According to investigation data, Papadia issued various types of long-term tourist visas to Russian citizens for money, bypassing the rules. Payments ranged from 4,000 to 16,000 euros, while the standard visa fee is 45–60 euros.
Three travel agencies in Moscow — "Happy travel", "Visa4you" and "Park lane" — are said to have been involved in the scheme. Investigators have learned that at least 95 Russian citizens obtained visas through this method. More than 80 of them never applied to the Italian consulate in Tashkent, which indicates a violation of the rules.
It was also discovered that some applications were sent to Papadia via Telegram. Additionally, it was recorded that the agencies transferred 23,600 euros to a bank account in Bulgaria between January and July 2025. The investigation is checking whether these funds may be linked to the visa scheme.
The Italian prosecutor's office is currently examining nearly 400 more visa cases. Papadia de Bottini was appointed Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan in December 2024 and left the post in December 2025.
