Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Iran for three weeks, returned home to Italy on Wednesday, greeted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Sala, a writer and podcaster, had been reporting on recent changes in Iranian society with a regular journalist visa when she was arrested on December 19, 2024. She was accused of "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic" and was placed in solitary confinement. Her arrest came shortly after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was detained in Milan on a U.S. warrant, which alleges he supplied drone parts used in an attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. Iran denied using Sala as a bargaining chip. Abedini remains in a Milan prison, with a court hearing next week to decide on his request for house arrest before extradition proceedings to the U.S. Sala was released three days after Prime Minister Meloni's visit to the U.S. played a role in her release.
first published: Jan 9, 2025 03:45 pm
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