Italian journalist Cecilia Sala arrives in Rome after weeks of detention in Iranian prison

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala arrives in Rome after spending weeks in solitary confinement in an Iranian prison.

Transcript

00:00Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has returned to Rome. Sala was detained in the Iranian

00:07capital three weeks ago by police forces who accused her of violating the laws of the country.

00:13Her detention came three days after Italy arrested Iranian national Mohammad Abedini

00:18in Milan, who was wanted by the U.S. Washington accuses Abedini and another Iranian national

00:24of supplying drone parts that were used in a 2024 attack, killing three U.S. service

00:29members in Jordan. Italian analysts believe Iran was using Sala's arrest as a bargaining

00:34chip to secure the release of Abedini, though Tehran has refuted those claims. Sala was

00:40welcomed in Rome by her partner and family members. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney

00:45was also present to welcome her back home. The Italian premier had personally called

00:49the journalist's parents to inform them of her release. She credited Sala's liberation

00:54to the government's, quote, intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels. Leader

00:59of Italy's largest opposition, democratic Elie Schlein, also hailed her release and

01:04thanked the incumbent government for their effort.