Cecilia Salaan Italian journalist detained on December 19 in Iran for allegedly “violating the laws” of the Islamic Republic, was released and returned to Italy on Wednesday afternoon.
“Our compatriot was released by the Iranian authorities,” the government had indicated in a statement on Wednesday morning.
The plane that brought her back landed in the middle of the afternoon in Rome, where she was received by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
His partner, the journalist Daniele Raineri, published on the site ilpost.it for whom she works, a photo of the young woman smiling while chatting with Meloni at Ciampino airport.
This release is the result of “intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels,” the text noted.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed “her gratitude to all those who contributed to making Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to reunite with her family and colleagues.”
The NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for its part expressed its “immense relief.”
“Now, the 25 journalists who remain in Iranian prisons must also be released,” the organization added in a brief statement.
Meloni had received the journalist’s mother at government headquarters on January 2 and had spoken by phone with her father.
The reporter was detained in Tehran during a professional stay with a journalist visa. The country’s authorities never explained the precise reasons for the arrest.
Sala, 29, had been in a cell in Evin prison in Tehran since then.
The journalist works for Chora Media, a website that publishes podcasts, as well as for the newspaper Il Foglio.
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The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, had summoned the Iranian ambassador on January 2, demanding the “immediate release” of the journalist.
Italy also demanded “respectful treatment, with human dignity” for the reporter, since according to the Italian press, she was in isolation.
Where she was forced to sleep on the floor and her glasses had been taken away.
The journalist, who was originally due to return to Italy on December 20, was detained a few days later.
This follows the arrests in the United States and Italy of two Iranians whom American justice suspects of transferring sensitive technologies.
Mohammad Abedini, 38, was arrested in Italy in December at the request of US authorities. Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, who has dual nationality, is detained in the United States.
The US justice system formally accused them on December 17 of “exporting sophisticated electronic components to Iran”, violating US regulations and sanctions against Iran.
According to the United States Department of Justice, these components were used in a drone attack in Jordan.
The same thing that cost the lives of three US soldiers in January 2024.
Iran denies any involvement and rejects the “baseless” accusations.
Tehran stated on Monday that there is no “link” between the detention of Cecilia Sala and that of Mohammad Abedini.
Iran, which detains several Western citizens or dual nationals, is accused of using them as bargaining chips.