An Italian journalist detained in Iran has been freed and is heading back to Italy, prime minister Giorgia Meloni has announced.
A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, took off from Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels”, a statement said.
Ms Sala, a reporter for Il Foglio, was detained in Tehran three days after she arrived on a journalist visa on 19 December 2024.
She was arrested three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was arrested in Milan on a US warrant for related to the alleged supply of drone parts for an attack that killed US personnel in Jordan.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make Cecilia’s return possible,” Ms Meloni said on X, formerly Twitter.
The Italian outlet Chora Media, where Ms Sala also works, said that she had left Rome on “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.
The Italian prime minister is expected to greet Ms Sala in person when she lands in Rome later on Wednesday.
An Italian newspaper reported that incoming US president Donald Trump had blessed a deal to secure Ms Sala’s release, so long as it happened before his 20 January 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 Mr Abedini’s detention amounted to hostage-taking.
Since the 1979 US 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 US custody and for $6 billion (£4.8bn) in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.
