Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Iran for nearly three weeks, has been released and returned home to Rome. Her arrival was met with emotional reunions with family members and politicians, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who hailed Sala’s release as a diplomatic and political success.
Sala, a reporter for Il Foglio, was arrested on charges of violating Islamic law shortly after her arrival in Iran on a journalist visa. Her return was the result of intense diplomatic and intelligence efforts by the Italian government.
The situation was complicated by the arrest of an Iranian engineer, Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, in Milan on a US warrant. Sala’s release was not believed to be directly related to Najafabadi’s arrest, but it remains unclear how her freedom will impact his case.
During her detention in Tehran’s Evin prison, Sala endured harsh conditions including sleeping on the floor without a mattress and being given food through a door crack. Evin prison is notorious for its treatment of political prisoners, journalists, and foreign citizens.
Sala’s release was celebrated by politicians from all sides in Italy, with former Prime Ministers Matteo Renzi and Giuseppe Conte praising the government’s diplomatic efforts. The journalist’s father expressed pride in his daughter’s resilience amid the ordeal.
The case also sheds light on the plight of other prisoners in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, who detailed instances of torture and abuse during her detainment. Mohammadi, who was granted temporary release for medical reasons, remains in limbo as Iranian authorities have yet to respond to requests for an extension of her leave.
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