Arrested on December 19 in Iran during a professional trip, Cecilia Sala was released, the Italian government announced on Wednesday. The latter specified that the journalist, aged 29, boarded a plane to return to Italy.
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, arrested on December 19 in Iran for having “violated the laws” of the Islamic Republic, has been released and is in the process of being repatriated, the Italian government announced on Wednesday January 8.
“Our compatriot has been released by the Iranian authorities and is returning to Italy,” government services said in a press release published late in the morning. “The plane repatriating journalist Cecilia Sala took off a few minutes ago.”
This release is the result of “intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels”, underlines the press release. Prime Minister “Giorgia Meloni expresses her gratitude to all those who contributed to making Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to reunite with her family and colleagues.”
The journalist was arrested in Tehran during a professional stay on a journalistic visa, but the Iranian authorities have never communicated the precise reasons for this arrest.
Cecilia Sala, 29, has since been in a cell in Evin prison in Tehran. The journalist works for Chora Media, a site publishing podcasts, as well as for the daily Il Foglio.
With AFP
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