Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in Iran and is flying home, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Wednesday.
Cecilia Sala © Chora Media
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in Iran and is flying home, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Wednesday.
Sala, 29, had been working under a regular journalistic visa but was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19 and held in solitary confinement in the Iranian capital's notorious Evin prison.
Sala was seized three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was arrested in Milan on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2024 attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. Iran has denied involvement in the strike.
The Italian statement said that Sala had been freed "thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels". It made no mention of the Abedini case. A source with knowledge of the matter said Abedini remained in a Milan prison.
"I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make Cecilia's return possible," Meloni said on X. The Italian prime minister was expected to greet Sala in person when she landed in Rome later on Wednesday.
Sala works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media. Her swift release represents a diplomatic win for Meloni, who had feared the case could drag on for weeks.
The Italian leader made a surprise visit to Florida at the weekend to meet U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. No details of the talks were released, but Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said they had discussed Sala's situation.
One Italian newspaper reported that Trump had blessed a deal to secure Sala's release, so long as it happened before his Jan. 20 inauguration. Meloni's office did not comment on the report.
In recent years, Iran's security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that Abedini's detention amounted to hostage-taking.
Writing by Crispian Balmer and Alvise Armellini
Iran has agreed to hold a fourth round of nuclear talks with the United States on Sunday in Oman, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, adding that the negotiations were advancing.
Ukraine introduced sanctions against one Chinese and three Iranian companies on Friday, according to a presidential decree.
Israel's military said on Friday it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory, with sirens activated in several areas following the projectile.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.