Rome — An Italian journalist detained in Iran for 3 weeks and whose destiny grew to become intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer needed by america was freed Wednesday and is heading dwelling, Italian officers introduced.
A aircraft carrying Cecilia Sala took off from Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s workplace mentioned, including that Meloni had knowledgeable Sala’s dad and mom of the information.
Iranian media acknowledged the journalist’s launch, citing solely the international experiences. Iranian officers provided no rapid remark.
Sala, a 29-year-old reporter for the Il Foglio each day, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, three days after she arrived on a journalist visa. She was accused of violating the legal guidelines of the Islamic Republic, the official IRNA information company mentioned, however no particulars of her purported transgressions had been ever offered by Iranian officers.
Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty
Phrase of Sala’s launch was met with cheers in Italy, the place her plight had dominated headlines, as lawmakers hailed the profitable negotiations to convey her dwelling.
It got here after Meloni made a shock journey to Florida final weekend to fulfill with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago property. Meloni tweeted Sala’s return in an announcement on X wherein she thanked “all those that helped make Cecilia’s return attainable, permitting her to reembrace her household and colleagues.”
Italian commentators had speculated that Iran was holding Sala as a bargaining chip to make sure the discharge of Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport three days earlier than on Dec. 16, on a U.S. warrant. Iranian analysts who spoke with CBS Information on the situation they continue to be nameless mentioned the identical factor.
The U.S. Justice Division accused Abedini and one other Iranian of supplying drone expertise to Iran that was utilized in a January 2024 assault on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American troops. He stays in detention in Italy.
Their fates became a diplomatic tangle as every nation’s international ministries summoned the opposite’s ambassador to demand the prisoners’ launch and respectable situations. The saga was notably sophisticated for Italy, which is an historic ally of Washington, however historically maintains good relations with Tehran.
Because the 1979 U.S. Embassy disaster, which noticed dozens of hostages launched after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.
In September 2023, 5 Individuals detained for years in Iran had been freed in trade for 5 Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian belongings to be launched by South Korea.
Western journalists have been held prior to now as properly. Washington Put up journalist Jason Rezaian was held for greater than 540 days earlier than being launched in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S.
