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 residence, Italian officers introduced.
A airplane carrying Cecilia Sala took off from Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,” Italian 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 reviews.
Iranian officers supplied no instant remark.
Iran cited unspecified violations of legislation
Sala, a 29-year-old reporter for the Il Foglio every 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.
The detention got here not lengthy after Sala had recorded a podcast describing societal modifications in Iran.
Phrase of Sala’s launch was met with cheers in Italy, the place her plight had dominated headlines and led to demonstrations.
Meloni tweeted Sala’s return in an announcement on X by which she thanked “all those that helped make Cecilia’s return doable, 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.
The U.S. Justice Division accused him and one other Iranian of supplying the drone know-how 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.
The saga was significantly sophisticated for Italy, which is a historic ally of Washington however maintains historically good relations with Tehran.
For the reason that 1979 U.S. Embassy disaster, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.
In September 2023, 5 People detained for years in Iran had been freed in change for 5 Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion US in frozen Iranian belongings to be launched by South Korea.
Western journalists and help employees have been held previously as effectively, together with American journalists Roxana Saberi and Jason Rezaian, and Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was employed by Thomson Reuters Basis, a charity that operates independently of its information subsidiary Reuters.
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