Iran frees Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was held for three weeks with no explanation
Rome — An Italian journalist detained for three weeks in Iran was freed Wednesday and on his way home, Italian officials announced, his fate intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States.
a plane carrying Cecilia Sala Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s office said Sala was flown from Tehran after “extensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels”, adding that Meloni had informed Sala’s parents of the news.
Iranian media cited only foreign reports acknowledging the journalist’s release. Iranian officials had no immediate comment.
Sara, a 29-year-old reporter for the Il Foglio daily, was detained in Tehran on December 19, three days after arriving on a journalist visa. Iran’s official news agency said she was accused of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, but Iranian officials did not provide details about her alleged violations.
Elena Di Vincenzo/Elena Di Vincenzo Archives/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty
News of Sara’s release sparked cheers in Italy, where her plight made headlines and lawmakers welcomed successful negotiations to bring her home.
It comes after Meloni made a surprise trip to Florida last weekend to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Meloni announced Sarah’s return on Twitter in a statement from
Italian commentators speculated that Iran was using Sala as a bargaining chip to secure the release of Mohammed Abedini. Abedini was arrested three days ago at Milan’s Malpensa airport on a U.S. warrant. Iranian analysts who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity said the same thing.
The U.S. Justice Department accused Abedini and another Iranian of providing Iran with drone technology that was used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan. Killed three U.S. troops. He remains detained in Italy.
Their fate turned into a diplomatic tangle, with each country’s foreign ministry summoning the other’s ambassador to demand the release of the prisoners and decent conditions. The incident is particularly complicated for Italy, a historical ally of Washington but which has traditionally maintained good relations with Tehran.
since 1979 U.S. Embassy CrisisDozens of hostages have been released after 444 days in captivity, as Iran uses prisoners with ties to the West as leverage in negotiations with the world.
September 2023, Friday American detained in Iran for years freed In exchange for the five Iranians detained by the United States and the release of $6 billion worth of Iranian frozen assets by South Korea.
Western journalists have been jailed in the past. Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian He was detained for more than 540 days before being released. The 2016 prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States
