Cecilia Sala, a 29-year-old Italian journalist, was released from detention in Iran after three weeks. She was detained on December 19th on accusations of violating Iranian law. Her release is believed to be connected to the arrest of Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini in Italy on a U.S. warrant. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni played a key role in securing Sala's release through diplomatic and intelligence channels.
An Italian journalist detained in Iran for three weeks, whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iran ian engineer wanted by the United States, was freed Wednesday and is heading home, Italian officials said. A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, left Tehran after 'intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,' Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office said, adding that the Italian premier had personally informed Sala's parents of the news.
Sala, a reporter for the Il Foglio daily, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, three days after she arrived on a journalist visa. She was accused of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, the official IRNA news agency said. Italian commentators had speculated that Iran detained and held Sala as a bargaining chip to ensure the release of Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport three days before, on Dec. 16, on a U.S. warrant. The U.S.
Meloni tweeted Sala’s return in a statement on X in which she thanked 'all those who helped make Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to reembrace her family and colleagues.' Sala's fate became intertwined with that of Abedini as each country's foreign ministries summoned the other's ambassador to demand the prisoners' release and decent detention conditions.
Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for around 100 days before being released. Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for more than 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S. Both cases involved Iran making false espionage accusations in closed-door hearings.
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