Discharge from Gemelli Hospital

Former Italian lawmaker Alessandro Di Battista returned home on Friday, 18 September 2026, following his discharge from the Policlinico Gemelli in Rome. The 48-year-old activist, author, and former 5-Star Movement deputy spent nearly a week receiving care in the Roman medical facility after being flown back from Cuba. Di Battista announced the conclusion of his hospital stay on Instagram, posting a photo alongside his close friend Luca Di Giuseppe, who serves as the president of the association Schierarsi. In his public message, Di Battista expressed relief at being back home, offered thanks to the hospital staff, and confirmed that further medical steps remain ahead.

Di Battista detailed his immediate plans and gratitude in the social media post.

“I am feeling much better and I am finally home. Thank you to the doctors and staff at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, and thank you to all of you for the affection I felt every day. In the coming weeks, I will tell you about the journey I will have to face.”

Medical emergency in Cuba and evacuation to Rome

Di Battista fell ill in late August 2026 during a trip to Havana, where he was working on a journalistic report for the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. After suffering from acute and persistent headaches, he was admitted to a hospital in the Cuban capital. Although he experienced a brief initial improvement, his condition deteriorated and required urgent neurosurgical intervention. Following the operation, Di Giuseppe flew directly to Cuba to assist him during his hospitalization. On 4 September 2026, doctors prohibited Di Battista from taking a standard commercial flight back to Italy, citing the risks associated with his immediate post-operative state. Once Cuban medical specialists granted clearance for air travel, an air ambulance transported him across the Atlantic to Rome's Ciampino airport on 12 September 2026. From Ciampino, emergency personnel transferred him straight to the Policlinico Gemelli for continued clinical monitoring and treatment.

Privacy measures and subsequent rehabilitation

Throughout the three-week medical ordeal across Havana and Rome, Di Battista's family and colleagues maintained strict confidentiality regarding the specifics of his diagnosis. No formal clinical bulletins detailing the underlying cause of the headaches or the specifics of the neurosurgery were released. The Schierarsi association issued a formal appeal to supporters, urging them not to visit the Policlinico Gemelli so that Di Battista and his family could navigate the recovery period in peace. The association noted that updates would only be shared in accordance with Di Battista's wishes and in coordination with those closest to him. Although he left the 5-Star Movement several years ago, Di Battista remains a regular commentator on Italian television programmes and an outspoken critic of international conflicts, including operations in Gaza. His departure from the Gemelli hospital on 18 September 2026 concludes his inpatient care, though he will undergo ongoing outpatient monitoring and therapy in the coming weeks.