An Italian journalist who had been detained in Iran for three weeks was released on Wednesday and returned home, after her situation became linked to that of an Iranian engineer arrested in Italy and sought by the United States.
A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, arrived at Rome’s Ciampino airport, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was present to greet her along with Sala’s family. Sala exited the plane and rushed to embrace her boyfriend, Daniele Raineri, who later shared a photo of a smiling Sala meeting Meloni at the airport on social media.
Sala’s release represented a significant diplomatic and political win for Meloni, whose recent visit to President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate had bolstered her international profile during negotiations for Sala’s freedom.
In announcing Sala’s return, Meloni’s office stated that the prime minister personally informed Sala’s parents and attributed the release to the government’s “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels.”
Iranian media confirmed the journalist’s release, referencing foreign reports, while Iranian officials provided no immediate comment.
Sala, a reporter for the Il Foglio daily, was detained in Tehran on December 19, a week after arriving on a journalist visa. She was accused of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Italian commentators speculated that Iran detained Sala as leverage to secure the release of Mohammad Abedini in Italy. Abedini had been arrested by Italian authorities at Milan’s Malpensa airport on December 16, three days prior, based on a U.S. warrant.
The U.S. Justice Department has charged Abedini and another Iranian with providing drone technology to Iran, which was used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.
Abedini remains in detention in Italy but has requested house arrest pending his extradition hearing in a Milan court.
Sala’s release was celebrated in Italy, where her situation had captured widespread attention. Lawmakers from all political parties applauded the result, with opposition leader Elly Schlein expressing gratitude to the government.
The release followed Meloni’s unexpected visit to Florida last weekend to meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
In a statement on X, Meloni thanked, “all those who helped make Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to re-embrace her family and colleagues.”
Meloni’s meeting with Trump had a significant impact on the premier’s international standing, enhancing Italy’s position in negotiations, according to Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
“Any time you can reinforce the credibility of a leader of a country at a particular moment, the stronger the country is,” he told Italy’s Sky Tg24.
Sala’s situation became closely tied to that of Abedini, with both countries summoning each other’s ambassadors to demand the release of the detainees and ensure proper detention conditions. This diplomatic issue was especially complex for Italy, which has historic ties with Washington but also maintains strong relations with Tehran.
Members of Meloni’s cabinet closely followed the case due to its geopolitical implications. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Crosetto praised the diplomatic collaboration that led to Sala’s release.
However, the release also raised a sensitive political issue for Italy due to Abedini’s status. The United States has previously expressed concerns when Italy has lost track of suspects in its judicial system awaiting extradition hearings.
A hearing to consider his request for house arrest is set for January 15.
The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, which had condemned Sala’s detention as an assault on press freedom, celebrated her release.
“Now the 25 journalists still held in Iranian prisons must also be released,” the group said in a social media post.
Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, which ended with the release of dozens of hostages after 444 days, Iran has used prisoners with Western connections as leverage in negotiations.
Source
- An Italian journalist is freed from detention in Iran and returns home – The Associated Press