9-1-2025 (ROME) Italian journalist and podcaster Cecilia Sala has returned to her homeland following a three-week detention in Tehran, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough in Anglo-Iranian relations.
The 29-year-old media professional touched down in Rome on Wednesday, where she was welcomed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, underscoring the gravity of her case at the highest levels of Italian government.
Sala, who had been operating with valid press credentials, was apprehended on 19 December whilst conducting research on social changes in Iranian society. Her detention came just days after Italian authorities arrested Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini in Milan, acting on an American warrant linking him to a drone parts supply operation allegedly connected to a deadly attack on US service personnel in Jordan last year.
The Italian government attributes Sala’s release to “intensive diplomatic and intelligence efforts”, though specific details of the negotiations remain undisclosed. Her confinement in Tehran’s Evin prison, notorious for housing political detainees, had raised significant concerns among press freedom advocates and human rights organisations.
A curious development preceded Sala’s release – Prime Minister Meloni’s unannounced visit to Florida for talks with US President-elect Donald Trump. Whilst the precise nature of these discussions remains private, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini confirmed that Sala’s situation featured in the dialogue.
Meanwhile, Abedini remains in custody in Milan, awaiting a court decision on his potential transfer to house arrest. The Iranian foreign ministry has strongly criticised his detention, with spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei characterising it as “hostage-taking”.
Sala’s father, Renato, expressed profound relief at his daughter’s return, noting the complexity of the situation: “Throughout this ordeal, it seemed like a chess match with multiple players involved.”
