Cecilia Sala, the Italian journalist detained in Iran, has been released and returns to her country

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, arrested on December 19 in Iran for having “breaks the laws” of the Islamic Republic, has been released and is in the process of being repatriated, the Italian government announced this Wednesday, January 8.

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“Our compatriot was released by the Iranian authorities and is returning to Italy”specified government services in a press release published late in the morning. “The plane repatriating journalist Cecilia Sala took off a few minutes ago” and should land in Rome in the afternoon.

This liberation is the fruit “intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels”underlines the press release. The 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”.

“A huge relief”

Giorgia Meloni, who received the journalist’s mother at government headquarters on January 2 and spoke by telephone with her father, told them “informed personally by telephone” of the release of their daughter, she indicated on X.

The NGO Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) for its part expressed its “tremendous relief”. “Now the 25 journalists still held in Iranian prisons must also be released”she added in a brief press release.

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Cecilia Sala 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. Aged 29, the journalist has since been in a cell in Evin prison in Tehran. She works for Chora Media, a podcast site, as well as for the daily newspaper “il Foglio”.

The head of Italian diplomacy Antonio Tajani summoned the Iranian ambassador on January 2, with Rome demanding the “immediate release” of the journalist. Italy had also demanded for the detainee “treatment respectful of human dignity”while according to the Italian press she was in solitary confinement, forced to sleep on the floor, and had been deprived of her glasses. On January 3, the Italian ambassador to Iran was in turn summoned by Tehran.

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The journalist, who was initially due to return to Italy on December 20, was arrested a few days after the arrests in the United States and Italy of two Iranians suspected by American justice of transferring sensitive technologies. Mohammad Abedini, 38, was arrested in December in Italy at the request of American authorities. Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, who holds dual nationality, is incarcerated in the United States.

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American justice formally accused them on December 17 “to export sophisticated electronic components to Iran”in violation of regulations in the United States and American sanctions against Iran. According to the US Department of Justice, these components were used during a drone attack in Jordan which cost the lives of three US soldiers in January 2024. Iran has denied involvement and slammed allegations “baseless”. Tehran, however, rejected on Monday everything « lien » between the arrest of Cecilia Sala and that of Mohammad Abedini.

Iran, which detains several Western or binational nationals, is accused by their supporters and NGOs of using them as a bargaining chip in state-to-state negotiations. Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, a French couple imprisoned since 2022 during a tourist stay, are thus accused by the Iranian authorities of“espionage”what their loved ones “strongly refute”.

A third Frenchman, named Olivier but whose last name has not been made public, has also been detained in Iran since 2022. Paris describes these prisoners as“state hostages”. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday called on French nationals not to travel to Iran until “complete liberation” French prisoners in this country.