Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, 29, was freed from detention in Iran on Wednesday after spending three weeks behind bars. Her release comes amid a diplomatic effort led by Premier Giorgia Meloni, who had visited US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago retreat last weekend.
Sala, a reporter for Il Foglio daily, was detained in Tehran on December 19 after arriving on a journalist visa. She was accused of violating Islamic Republic laws and held as a bargaining chip to secure the release of Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini from Italian custody.
Abedini remains in detention pending an extradition hearing, but Sala’s release marks a significant victory for Meloni. Lawmakers across the political spectrum praised the outcome, with opposition leader Elly Schlein thanking the government specifically.
The diplomatic push involved intense work on both sides, according to Meloni’s office. Iranian officials offered no immediate comment on Sala’s release, while US officials have not commented on Abedini’s situation.
This marks a rare instance of Iran releasing a Western journalist after years of detention. Reporters Without Borders cheered Sala’s release, calling for the release of 25 other journalists still held in Iranian prisons.
Sala’s case highlights the use of prisoners as bargaining chips in international negotiations, a tactic employed by Iran since the 1979 US Embassy crisis.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/italian-journalist-cecilia-sala-freed-from-iran-8eac803c9a1ce6f66b5664bd1a123b3d