Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been released from an Iranian prison after spending 21 days in detention. She landed at Rome’s Ciampino airport on Wednesday afternoon, welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and her parents.
Sala was initially detained in mid-December while covering a story in Iran. Her Italian newspaper, Il Foglio, had reported that she was held in Tehran’s Evin prison due to “violating the laws of the Islamic republic of Iran”. However, Italian authorities claimed they did not know the specific charges against her.
The release came after intense diplomatic efforts by Italy, which praised the Iranian authorities for their cooperation. Sala’s detention had been widely reported, but her family and some media outlets had initially asked for it to remain silent in the hopes of a swift release.
Sala’s case highlights the challenges faced by journalists working in repressive regimes. Iran has one of the worst records on press freedom, with only four countries having worse records, according to Reporters Without Borders. Sala’s story serves as a reminder of the risks and rewards of reporting from countries with restrictive media laws.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/08/europe/cecilia-sala-freed-iran-italy-intl/index.html