Cecilia Sala: Iran releases Italian journalist from detention

Iran has freed journalist Cecilia Sala after spending three weeks in jail, according to a statement from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office.

On Wednesday, Meloni’s office confirmed that Sala’s release had been negotiated more than three weeks after her arrest on December 19. 

Iran has denied rumors suggesting her detention was tied to the arrest of an Iranian businessman in Italy, who the United States accuses of being involved in an attack on US military forces.

The news of Sala’s release was met with widespread celebration in Italy, where her detention had captured national attention. Lawmakers praised the diplomatic efforts that led to her return, underscoring the political victory for Meloni.

“I want to express gratitude to all those who contributed to making Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to embrace her family and colleagues again,” Meloni wrote on X (formerly Twitter). She further revealed that she had personally informed Sala’s parents of the good news.

Sala, a reporter for the Il Foglio newspaper, had been confined in solitary confinement in the infamous Evin prison in Iran. She had been working under a standard journalistic visa when she was detained.

Her arrest occurred just three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was detained at Milan’s Malpensa airport on a US warrant. 

The US Justice Department accuses Abedini and another Iranian of providing drone technology to Iran that was later used in a January 2024 attack on a US military post in Jordan, resulting in the deaths of three American soldiers.

Italian commentators have suggested that Iran might have detained Sala as leverage in negotiations. Iran has frequently been accused of holding prisoners with Western connections as bargaining tools in diplomatic matters.

In September 2023, five Americans held for years in Iran were also released in exchange for five Iranians and the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets from South Korea.

Western journalists have also been detained by Iran in the past. In 2009, American journalist Roxana Saberi was held for nearly 100 days before being released.

Despite these speculations, Iran has firmly rejected any connection between Sala’s case and the detention of Abedini. Abedini remains in custody in Italy.

Meloni’s office stated that Sala’s release was the result of “intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,” but it did not refer to the Abedini situation.

Meloni met with US President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend and reportedly discussed the case. While no official details of the meeting were provided, unconfirmed media reports suggest that Trump indicated a possible deal to secure Sala’s release before his inauguration on January 20.

(ALJAZEERA)

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