Italian journalist Cecilia Sala freed by Iran
An Italian journalist detained in Iran last month has been freed and is on a flight back to Rome, the Italian government says.
Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on 19 December, three days after an Iranian engineer was detained by Italian authorities in Milan on suspicion of supplying drone technology that led to the deaths of US soldiers.
Reports said she had been held in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin prison.
It is unclear what led to Sala's release, however the news was broken by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's officials who cited "intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels".
In the Italian statement, Meloni thanked "all those who contributed to to making Cecilia's return possible".
She had personally told Sala's parents of her release, it added. Sala's plane had already left Tehran and was due to arrive in Rome at 15:30 (14:30 GMT) on Wednesday, according to Ansa news agency.
Her partner, fellow journalist Daniele Raineri, told Ansa: "I spoke to her and she told me 'I'll see you soon', she was emotional and overjoyed."
Cecilia Sala's detention in prison in Tehran outraged Italians and has dominated headlines since her employer, podcast company Chora Media, broke the news of her arrest on 27 December.
Meloni is understood to have taken personal charge of her case and met US president-elect Donald Trump at the weekend, when the journalist's detention is thought to have been discussed.
Outgoing president Joe Biden is due to visit Rome later this week.
Iran said initially it had detained Sala for "violation of the Islamic Republic's laws", however US state department officials said it could be linked to the arrest of Iranian national Mohammad Abedini at Malpensa airport in Milan on 16 December.
He was arrested on a US warrant and one official told Italian media that Sala was being used as "political leverage".
Mohammad Abedini is due to go before a court in Milan on 15 January, and Tehran has in recent days played down any connection between the two cases.
The head of Italy's foreign intelligence service, Giovanni Caravelli, is said to have travelled to Tehran personally to bring Sala back to Italy.
Her father Renato Sala told Ansa news agency he was proud of her and praised the government for an "exceptional job".
He said he had had the impression that the situation had turned into a "game of chess, but with more than two players".
Italian journalist Sala freed from Iran prison and is flying home
ROME, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Italian reporter Cecilia Sala has been freed after three weeks in an Iranian prison and is flying home, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Wednesday.
Sala, 29, was working under a regular journalistic visa when she was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, accused of "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic".
She was detained three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was arrested in Milan on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2024 attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan.
Iran has denied involvement in the attack and has dismissed accusations that it detained Sala to put pressure on Italy to release Abedini.
The Italian statement said that Sala, who had been held in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin jail, was freed "thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels". It made no mention of the Abedini case.
"I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make Cecilia's return possible," Meloni said on X. She was expected to greet Sala in person on her arrival in Rome later on Wednesday.
Abedini remained in a Milan prison on Wednesday, with a court due to decide next week on his request to be released to house arrest ahead of eventual proceedings to extradite him to the United States.
"For the moment, Abedini's position remains unchanged," Milan prosecutor Francesca Nanni told reporters.
Sala works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media. Her father Renato Sala said he was overcome by emotion when he heard that she was heading home.
"I have only cried three times in my life," he said, adding: "During this period, I had the impression that a game of chess was being played, but there were more than just two players."
Sala's swift release represents a clear diplomatic win for Meloni, who had feared the case could drag on.
The Italian leader made a surprise visit to Florida at the weekend to meet U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. No details of the talks were released, but Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said they had discussed Sala's situation.
In recent years, Iran's security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that Abedini's detention amounted to a hostage-taking.
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala freed from detention in Iran, Italian PM’s office says
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from an Iranian prison and is on a plane home, a spokesperson for the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday, weeks after she was arrested while reporting in Tehran.
Sala is a reporter for the Italian daily Il Foglio, which said the journalist was held in Tehran’s Evin prison after being detained in mid-December while covering “a country she knows and loves.”
On Wednesday, Meloni’s office said: “The plane that is bringing journalist Cecilia Sala home took off a few minutes ago from Tehran.
“Thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels, our compatriot has been released by the Iranian authorities and is returning to Italy,” the statement added.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella informed the journalist’s parents of the news during a phone call on Wednesday morning, according to the statement.
The Italian outlet Chora Media, where Sala also works, said that she had left Rome on December 12 “with a valid journalistic visa and the protections of a journalist on assignment.
“She conducted several interviews and produced three episodes of the Stories podcast for Chora News,” the media outlet said in late December, adding that it was making Sala’s detention public weeks later because her parents and Italian authorities had initially asked it to remain silent, hoping for a swift release.
Iranian state news agency IRNA, citing the Iranian Ministry of Culture, said last month that Sala was arrested after “violating the laws of the Islamic republic of Iran,” but Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said several days after her detention that “we still don’t know the charges.”
Iran’s regime is one of the most repressive in the world on press freedom, particularly cracking down on media rights after a wave of protests rocked the country in 2022.
Only four countries – North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea – have worse records on press freedom, according to an annual tally compiled by non-profit organization Reporters Without Borders.
Iran frees Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was held for three weeks with no explanation
Rome — An Italian journalist detained in Iran for three weeks and whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States was freed Wednesday and is heading home, Italian officials announced.
A plane carrying Cecilia Sala took off from Tehran after "intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said, adding that Meloni had informed Sala's parents of the news.
Iranian media acknowledged the journalist's release, citing only the foreign reports. Iranian officials offered no immediate comment.
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, but no details of her purported transgressions were ever provided by Iranian officials.
Word of Sala's release was met with cheers in Italy, where her plight had dominated headlines, as lawmakers hailed the successful negotiations to bring her home.
It came after Meloni made a surprise trip to Florida last weekend to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Meloni tweeted Sala's return in a statement on X in which she thanked "all those who helped make Cecilia's return possible, allowing her to reembrace her family and colleagues."
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. Iranian analysts who spoke with CBS News on the condition they remain anonymous said the same thing.
The U.S. Justice Department accused Abedini and another Iranian of supplying 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.
Their fates turned into a diplomatic tangle as each country's foreign ministries summoned the other's ambassador to demand the prisoners' release and decent conditions. The saga was particularly complicated for Italy, which is an historic ally of Washington, but traditionally maintains good relations with Tehran.
Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.
In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.
Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian was held for more than 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S.
An Italian journalist is freed from detention in Iran and is returning home
ROME (AP) — An Italian journalist detained in Iran for three weeks was freed Wednesday and was heading home, after her fate had become intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer arrested in Italy and wanted by the United States.
A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, left Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office said, adding that she had personally informed Sala’s parents.
Iranian media acknowledged the journalist’s release, citing only the foreign reports. Iranian officials offered no immediate comment.
Sala, a 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 detained and held Sala as a bargaining chip to ensure the release in Italy 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 has accused Abedini 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.
Abedini remains in detention in Italy but has asked a Milan court to grant him house arrest pending an extradition hearing.
Sala’s release was met with cheers in Italy, where her plight had dominated headlines.
It came after Meloni made a surprise trip to Florida last weekend to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Meloni in a statement on X thanked “all those who helped make Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to re-embrace her family and colleagues.”
Meloni’s visit to Trump had a strong impact on the premier’s international standing, which strengthened Italy’s hand in negotiations, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.
“Any time you can reinforce the credibility of a leader of a country at a particular moment, the stronger the country is,” he told Italy’s Sky TG24.
Sala’s fate had become intertwined with that of Abedini. Each country’s foreign ministry summoned the other’s ambassador to demand the prisoner’s release and decent detention conditions. The diplomatic tangle was particularly complicated for Italy, which is a historic ally of Washington but maintains good relations with Tehran.
Members of Meloni’s cabinet took personal interest in the case given the geopolitical implications. Foreign Minister Antonio Tanaji and Crosetto hailed the diplomatic teamwork involved to secure Sala’s release, which amounted to a significant domestic and diplomatic victory for Meloni.
But the release also posed a delicate political question for Italy given Abedini’s status. The United States has complained in the past when Italy has lost track of suspects in the Italian judicial system awaiting hearings for extradition to the U.S.
Advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, which had flagged Sala’s detention as an attack on press freedom, cheered her release.
“Now the 25 journalists still held in Iranian prisons must also be released,” the group said in a social media post.
Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations.
In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.
Western journalists have been held in the past. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for around 100 days before being released.
Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for more than 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S.
Both cases involved Iran making false espionage accusations in closed-door hearings.
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala freed from Iran prison, Italy says
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in Iran and is flying home, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Sala, 29, who had been working under a regular journalistic visa, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19 and held in solitary confinement in the Iranian capital’s notorious Evin prison.
Sala was detained three days after an Iranian businessman, Mohammad Abedini, was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa Airport on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2024 attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan.
Iran has denied involvement in the strike.
The Italian statement said Sala had been freed “thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels.” It made no mention of the Abedini case. A source with knowledge of the matter said Abedini remained in a Milan prison.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make Cecilia’s return possible,” Meloni said on X. The Italian prime minister was expected to greet Sala in person when she landed in Rome later on Wednesday.
Sala works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media. Her swift release represents a diplomatic win for Meloni, who had feared the case could drag on for weeks.
The Italian leader made a surprise visit to Florida at the weekend to meet U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. No details of the talks were released, but Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said they had discussed Sala’s situation.
One Italian newspaper reported that Trump had blessed a deal to secure Sala’s release, so long as it happened before his Jan. 20 inauguration. Meloni’s office did not comment on the report.
In recent years, Iran’s security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that Abedini’s detention amounted to hostage-taking.
Cecilia Sala: Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist
Iranian authorities have confirmed for the first time that Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested in the country on the grounds of "violation of the Islamic Republic's laws".
It comes as a US state department spokesperson told Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica that Ms Sala's case could be linked to the recent arrest of an Iranian citizen in Milan at the request of the United States.
Ms Sala, a 29-year-old journalist and the host of a popular news and foreign affairs podcast, was detained in Iran on 19 December, the day before she was supposed to fly home from a reporting trip.
She is now reportedly being held in solitary confinement in Teheran's Evin prison.
On 16 December, Iranian national Mohammad Abedini was arrested in Milan on charges of supplying electronic parts for drones to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), resulting in the deaths of three American soldiers. The US is currently seeking Mr Abedini's extradition from Italy.
The US state department spokesperson quoted by La Repubblica said Ms Sala was being used as "political leverage".
Neither the Italian nor the Iranian governments have confirmed any link between Cecilia Sala and Mohammad Abedini.
However, on 21 December, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned a senior Italian diplomat over Mr Abedini's arrest.
Italy denounced Ms Sala's arrest as "unacceptable" and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that efforts to free her were "complicated".
"There is a certain amount of goodwill, especially in terms of the way Cecilia is being treated," he told Italian TV. However, he added that negotiations were "very delicate" and that he could not guess how long it would take to secure her release.
Ms Sala's employer, podcast company Chora Media, broke the news of her arrest on 27 December.
The company said it had initially kept quiet for a week on the request of Ms Sala's family and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "hoping this silence would lead to her swift release. Unfortunately, this has not yet happened."
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said that the entire Italian government was "working tirelessly" to ensure Ms Sala's release.
"Negotiations with Iran won't be solved by involving Western public opinion... but through high-level political and diplomatic action," he wrote on X.
Ms Sala has been granted consular access and is in contact with her family by phone, the Iranian Culture Ministry said.
One of Ms Sala's colleagues at Chora Media said she had been allowed to receive a "care package" in jail with a panettone, chocolate, cigarettes and an eye mask to allow her to sleep despite the prison's bright lights, which are never turned off.
Cecilia Sala's popular daily podcast covers a different angle of a current affairs story in each episode.
The last one was published a day before her arrest and focused on Zeynab Mousavi, a female stand-up comedian who was detained by the Iranian authorities and placed in solitary confinement.
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala detained by police while reporting in Iran
ROME (AP) — An Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police, Italy’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.
Cecilia Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was detained on Dec. 19, the ministry said, adding that it was working with Iranian authorities “to clarify the legal situation of Sala and to verify the conditions of her detention.”
Sala is a reporter for Italian daily Il Foglio, which said she is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison. Il Foglio said Sala was in Iran with a regular visa “to report on a country she knows and loves.”
The newspaper’s editor, Claudio Cerasa, wrote on Friday that “journalism is not a crime,” asking to “bring Cecilia Sala home.”
Sala had been allowed to make two phone calls to her relatives, the foreign ministry said. Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei visited Sala in prison Friday, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the journalist was “in good health condition.”
Iran has not acknowledged detaining Sala. However, it can take weeks before authorities announce such arrests.
Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.
In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.
Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for some 100 days before being released.
Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for over 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S.
Both cases involved Iran making false espionage accusations in closed-door hearings.
Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report
Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala
DUBAI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Iran confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic", Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
Sala, 29, who works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, according to the Italian foreign ministry.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Saturday declined to say whether the case might be linked to the arrest of an Iranian in Italy this month at the request of the United Sttates.
The case of the Italian journalist being held in Iran is "complicated", but Rome hopes to bring Sala home quickly, Tajani said.
"Italian national Cecilia Sala traveled to Iran on Dec. 13 with a journalist visa and was detained on Dec. 19... for violating the laws of the Islamic Republic," a statement by Iran's Culture Ministry said, according to IRNA.
Chora Media said Sala had left Rome for Iran on Dec. 12 with a valid journalist visa and had conducted several interviews and produced three episodes of her "Stories" podcast. She had been due to fly back to Rome on Dec. 20.
Sala has been in contact by phone with her family and the Italian embassy in Tehran was notified of her detention, the statement said.
In recent years, Iran's security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.
Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies taking prisoners to gain diplomatic leverage.
Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist, state media reports
Iran has confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, state news agency IRNA said, citing the Iranian Ministry of Culture.
Italy’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday that Sala was detained in Tehran. IRNA said Monday that Sala had been detained on December 19 after “violating the laws of the Islamic republic of Iran.”
“Her case is currently under investigation. Her arrest was carried out in accordance with the relevant regulations, and the Italian Embassy in Tehran has been informed,” IRNA said, citing the Iranian Ministry of Culture.
The reporter was visited in prison Friday by Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei “to verify the conditions and state of her detention,” the statement said, adding that she had previously been allowed to make two phone calls to her relatives.
“We still don’t know the charges,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told journalists on Saturday.
Until Saturday, a lawyer had not visited Sala in prison, the foreign minister added.
“We hope that (the lawyer) will be able to do so in the next few days and that he will be able to know the exact charges as soon as possible,” Tajani said.
Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was “stopped by Tehran police” on December 19, the Italian foreign ministry statement said, adding that the foreign ministry “has worked with the Iranian authorities to clarify the legal situation of Cecilia Sala and to verify the conditions of her detention.”
Sala is a reporter for the Italian daily Il Foglio, which says the journalist is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison. According to Il Foglio, Cecilia was in Iran “on a regular visa to report on a country she knows and loves,” while noting its repression of free speech and threats against journalists.
The publication’s editor, Claudio Cerasa, wrote in the paper on Friday: “Journalism is not a crime. Let’s bring Cecilia Sala home.”
The Italian outlet Chora Media, where Sala also works, said Friday that she had left Rome on December 12 “with a valid journalistic visa and the protections of a journalist on assignment.
“She conducted several interviews and produced three episodes of the Stories podcast for Chora News,” said the media outlet, adding that it had not made Sala’s detention public sooner as her parents and Italian authorities had asked it to remain silent, hoping for the journalist’s swift release.
