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Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, arrested in Iran three weeks ago, was released on Wednesday, the Italian government has announced.
Sala, 29, who works for Italian newspaper Il Foglio and the Chora Media podcast company, was arrested on December 19, for allegedly “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic.”
According to an official statement from the Italian government, Sala is now on a flight from Tehran to Italy.
The Italian government pursued intensive diplomatic efforts for her release, which reportedly included a visit by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Mar-a-Lago to meet US President-elect Donald Trump.
Sala’s arrest was seen in the context of the Iranian regime’s hostage diplomacy, particularly after Iran linked her case to that of Mohammed Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian man arrested in Italy in December at the request of the United States for alleged arms trafficking.
The Italian government emphasised its “intense diplomatic and intelligence efforts” for Sala’s release. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that she had personally informed Sala’s parents of the release in a phone call.
Sala had been held in Iran’s Evin prison, a facility notorious for holding political prisoners, activists, and journalists, often under harsh conditions and with reports of torture and human rights abuses.
Contrary to claims by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani that she was in “good health” and treated with “dignity,” Sala’s family revealed on 1 January that she faced dire conditions, including sleeping on the floor with only two blankets – one as a cover and the other beneath her. She was also denied the Italian embassy’s care package and even her own eyeglasses.
[Edited by Owen Morgan]
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