(MENAFN- Live Mint) Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who had been detained in Iran for three weeks, was released and returned home on Wednesday. Her release followed the connection of her case to that of an Iranian engineer arrested in Italy and wanted by the United States.
Sala, 29, arrived at Rome's Ciampino airport on a plane, where she was welcomed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her family.
Her release marked a significant diplomatic and Political win for Meloni, whose recent visit to President-elect Donald trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate boosted her international standing at a crucial time in negotiations for Sala's release.
Announcing Cecilia Sala's return, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 's office revealed that the premier personally informed Sala's parents and attributed the release to Italy's“intensive diplomatic and intelligence efforts”.
Sala, a reporter for Italy's Il Foglio daily, had been detained in Tehran on December 19, three days after arriving with a journalist visa. The Iranian news agency IRNA stated that she was accused of breaching the country's laws.
Speculation in Italy suggested that Iran detained Sala to leverage the release of Mohammad Abedini, an Iranian engineer arrested in Milan on December 16 at the request of the US.
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Abedini is wanted by the US Justice Department for allegedly providing drone technology used in a January 2024 attack on a US outpost in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. Abedini remains in Italian detention but has requested house arrest while awaiting extradition hearings.
Meloni , in a statement on X, thanked everyone who contributed to making Sala's return possible, allowing her to reunite with her family and colleagues. The diplomatic efforts to secure her release benefited from Meloni's visit to President-elect Donald Trump , which bolstered Italy's international influence, said Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. Italy's negotiations were complicated by its strong ties to both Washington and Tehran.
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Foreign Minister Antonio Tanaji and Crosetto praised the coordinated diplomatic efforts within Italy's government to secure Sala's freedom. Meanwhile, a court hearing regarding Abedini's house arrest request is scheduled for January 15.
Reporters Without Borders, which had condemned Sala's detention as an attack on press freedom, celebrated her release and called for the freedom of the 25 other journalists still imprisoned in Iran.
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Sala joins the long list of foreign journalists detained by Iran, including American journalists Roxana Saberi and Jason Rezaian, both of whom were also accused of espionage and detained for extended periods before their release through diplomatic efforts.
(With AP contributions)
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