Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Released from Iran and Heading Home

Rome: An Italian journalist detained in Iran since December 19, whose case was linked to an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States, was released on Wednesday, according to Italian officials.

A plane carrying Cecilia Sala departed from Tehran following "intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels," as stated by Premier Giorgia Meloni's office. Meloni also informed Sala's parents about the news.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian government regarding the release of the journalist.

Sala, a 29-year-old reporter for the Il Foglio daily, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, three days after she arrived on a journalist visa. She was accused of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, the official IRNA news agency said.

Italian commentators had speculated that Iran was holding Sala as a bargaining chip to ensure the release of Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport three days before on Dec. 16, on a U.S. warrant.

The U.S. Justice Department accused him and another Iranian of supplying the drone technology to Iran that was used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American troops.

He remains in detention in Italy.

(with agency inputs)