Official announcements from the Italian government or media reports

Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Freed from Iran; Meloni to Welcome Her Home

Jan 8, 2025, 10:55 AM

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been released from prison in Iran and is en route to Italy, according to the Italian government. Sala, 29, was arrested on December 19, 2024, in Tehran for allegedly violating Iranian laws. She had traveled to Iran on a journalist visa and was detained shortly after her arrival, held in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin Prison. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Sala is returning home and personally informed her parents of her release. The plane carrying Sala departed from Tehran and is expected to arrive at Rome's Ciampino Airport at 15:30, where Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be present to welcome her. The release was achieved through diplomatic and intelligence efforts, with Tajani highlighting "diplomacy and teamwork" in securing Sala's freedom. The director of AISE, Italy's external intelligence agency, traveled to Tehran to facilitate her return. Sala's father expressed pride in his daughter upon hearing the news.