Diplomatic efforts yield results as Iran releases Italian journalist

The Italian government has announced that Iranian authorities released journalist Cecília Sala, who was detained on December 19, 2024.

She has already left Iran and is en route to Rome. It remains unclear whether this release is part of a broader negotiation deal, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally informed Sala's parents about her release. A statement from the Prime Minister's office highlighted that the outcome was the result of tireless efforts by diplomats and intelligence agencies. On January 5, Meloni met with US President-elect Donald Trump in the US.

One of the topics discussed during their meeting was potential assistance in securing the release of the 29-year-old journalist.

Sala collaborates with the newspaper Il Foglio and is also known for producing podcasts for the Chora Media platform. The last three episodes of the podcast produced by Cecília Sala featured Iranian guests, including a female comedian, a former military commander, and a young woman who had rejected conservative values. 

Sala was scheduled to fly back home on December 20, 2024, but she stopped responding to messages the day before, which was when she was detained, according to local reports. Tehran stated that Sala had "violated the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran," as reported by Iranian state media.

The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance also announced that an investigation into her case was underway at the time. Sala's employer, the newspaper Il Foglio, stated after her arrest that journalism is not a crime. They added, "Cecília was in Iran on a regular visa, reporting on a country she knows and loves, where information is stifled by repression." 

Following her arrest, Italy's Foreign Ministry declared that it was closely monitoring the situation and taking high-level political and diplomatic measures to ensure her release.

By Naila Huseynova