Miguel Ángel Pierri, lawyer for Boca Juniors' Colombian players Edwin Cardona and Wilmar Barrios, accused of gender-based violence, said that the footballers are "at the disposal" of the justice system and that there is no need to arrest them during the investigation.
"I understand that they cannot be detained because I said they are at the disposal, there would be no reason to apply any coercion when a citizen makes themselves available. Since yesterday at 11 in the morning we have been informing that we are here and that we want to testify," Pierri said at the press conference.
According to the lawyer, the fact that there is a gag order in the case may mean that searches or the detention of someone to testify as a witness are taking place.
"Things are happening at the moment. Edwin and Barrios are worried, upset, especially Edwin, he was very upset yesterday, especially because of this case and being left out of the squad. They had a meeting with senior Boca executives and the coaching staff, I don't think roses were exchanged," he explained.
The lawyer believes that the provisional classification is being changed, which was illegal deprivation of liberty, injuries, and threats, as revealed by the lawyer for the two complainants, Juan Martin Cerolini.
"The classification is not there. I dare to deduce freely that if the classification is being sent for examination, it is because after the testimonies (of the complainants) it needs to be adjusted. I am concerned about the charge of gender-based violence," he said.
"My clients are innocent. Initially it was about sexual abuse, that spread in the media, and it's an accusation that doesn't exist," he added.
In addition, he said that the audios that the Argentinian media published, in which a Colombian asks for forgiveness and asks a woman not to file a complaint, "are not judicially authorized wiretaps" and repeated that it's not the voice of any of his clients.
Cardona and Barrios, aged 25 and 24 respectively, were accused on Tuesday of assaulting two women between Saturday and Sunday in an apartment in the Puerto Madero neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where there were several witnesses, including fellow Colombian Boca Juniors player Frank Fabra.