1 day ago Paul Kirby Europe Editor An Italian journalist has returned to Rome after spending weeks in an Iranian jail.
Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on 19 December, three days after an Iranian engineer was detained by Italian authorities in Milan on suspicion of supplying drone technology that led to the deaths of US soldiers.
He was arrested on a US warrant and one official told Italian media that Sala was being used as “political leverage”.
Her father Renato Sala told Ansa he was proud of her and praised the government for an “exceptional job”.
Renato Sala also thanked Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pointing out they had lived near each other for 12 years and had become friends.
a day ago.
Paul Kirby.
Editor of Europe.
An Italian journalist who was imprisoned in Iran for weeks has returned to Rome.
On December 19, 29-year-old Cecilia Sala was taken into custody, three days after Italian authorities in Milan arrested an Iranian engineer on suspicion of providing drone technology that killed US soldiers.
She was reportedly detained in solitary confinement at the infamous Evin prison in Tehran.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is believed to have personally taken charge of her case, welcomed her home after her partner greeted her as she disembarked from the aircraft at Rome’s Ciampino airport.
Italians were incensed by the imprisonment of popular podcaster Cecilia Sala in Tehran, and her arrest has been in the news ever since her employer, Chora Media, announced it on December 27.
On Wednesday afternoon, it uploaded a photo of Sala’s arrival.
Iran claimed that Sala had been detained for “violation of the Islamic Republic’s laws” at first, but US state department officials suggested that this could be connected to the arrest of Iranian national Mohammad Abedini on December 16 at Milan’s Malpensa airport.
An official told Italian media that Sala was being used as “political leverage” after he was arrested on a US warrant.
It is unclear what caused Iran to release her, but Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the news in a statement, referring to “intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels.”.
Meloni is believed to have discussed the journalist’s detention during his weekend meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump.
Later this week, departing President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Rome.
“All those who contributed to making Cecilia’s return possible” were thanked by Meloni.
“I spoke to her and she told me ‘I’ll see you soon,’ she was emotional and overjoyed,” Sala’s partner, fellow journalist Daniele Raineri, told Ansa news agency. “..”.
On January 15, Mohammad Abedini is scheduled to appear before a Milan court; Tehran has downplayed any link between the two cases in recent days.
To bring Sala back to Italy, Giovanni Caravelli, the head of Italy’s foreign intelligence service, is reported to have personally traveled to Tehran.
Renato Sala, her father, told Ansa that he was proud of her and that the government had done a “great job.”.
According to him, he felt as though a “game of chess, but with more than two players” had taken over the situation.
Renato Sala also expressed gratitude to Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, mentioning that they had become friends after living close to one another for 12 years.
