Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, arrested on December 19 in Iran for allegedly “violating the laws” of the Islamic Republic, has been released and is currently on her way to Italy. This announcement was made this Wednesday morning by Italian government services and reported by RFI.
In a press release published late this morning, the Italian authorities confirmed that “our compatriot has been released by the Iranian authorities and is returning to Italy”. The plane carrying the journalist took off recently, according to the same source.
Cecilia Sala, known for her field work and reporting on conflict zones, was arrested in Iran while reporting on recent protest movements against the regime. The Iranian authorities accused him of having violated local laws, without however specifying the exact nature of the offenses with which he was accused.
The detention of Cecilia Sala had provoked a significant mobilization of Italian diplomacy. Since his arrest, the Italian government, in collaboration with its European partners, had taken steps to obtain his release.
Cecilia Sala is not the first reporter arrested in the country. International human rights organizations have repeatedly denounced arbitrary arrests of journalists and violations of press freedom in Iran.
