Italian journalist Cecilia Sala released from Iran jail, returns home

Tehran denies Sala’s December 19 detainment was linked to an Iranian businessman’s apprehension successful Italy connected a US warrant.

Italian writer Cecilia Sala has been released by Iran aft 3 weeks successful jailhouse and returned home.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani were connected manus to greet the 29-year-old arsenic she flew backmost into Rome connected Wednesday, highlighting the governmental value attached to her case.

Sala, a writer and podcaster, had been moving with a regular writer visa erstwhile she was detained successful Tehran connected December 19, accused of “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic”.

Tehran has denied speculation that her apprehension was linked to Rome’s detention of an Iranian businessman that the United States accuses of engagement successful an onslaught connected its military.

The quality that Sala had been released met cheers successful Italy, wherever her plight had dominated headlines. Lawmakers hailed the palmy negotiations to bring her home, illustrating the spot of the governmental summation for Meloni.

“I privation to explicit gratitude to each those who contributed to making Cecilia’s instrumentality possible, allowing her to clasp her household and colleagues again,” Meloni posted connected X.

She added that she had personally informed Sala’s parents of her release.

Held successful solitary confinement successful the Iranian capital’s notorious Evin prison, Sala, a newsman for the Il Foglio newspaper, had been moving connected a regular journalistic visa.

She was detained 3 days aft Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was arrested astatine Milan’s Malpensa airdrome connected a US warrant.

The US Department of Justice has accused Abedini and different Iranian of supplying drone exertion to Iran that was utilized successful a January 2024 onslaught connected a US outpost successful Jordan, sidesplitting 3 American soldiers.

Italian commentators person speculated that Iran was holding Sala arsenic a bargaining chip. Iran has often been accused of utilizing prisoners with Western ties for specified purposes.

In September 2023, 5 Americans imprisoned for years successful Iran were freed successful speech for 5 Iranians and $6bn successful frozen Iranian assets released by South Korea.

Western journalists person been held successful the past, arsenic well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran successful 2009 for astir 100 days earlier being released.

However, Tehran has flatly denied immoderate nexus betwixt the 2 cases. Abedini remains successful detention successful Italy.

Meloni’s connection said Sala had been freed “thanks to aggravated enactment connected diplomatic and quality channels”. However, it made nary notation of the Abedini case.

The Italian premier curate met US President-elect Donald Trump astatine the play and reportedly discussed the case.

No details of the talks were released, but unverified media reports person claimed that Trump had nodded to a woody to unafraid Sala’s release, arsenic agelong arsenic it happened earlier his inauguration connected January 20.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies