Iranian Citizen Released from Detention in Italy and Returns Home: Official Announcement
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Tehran, Jan 13 (NationPress) Iran has reported that Mohammad Abedini, an Iranian citizen who was held in Italy, has been released and is now back in his homeland.
Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, expressed his contentment regarding Abedini's release in a statement on Sunday, commending the collaborative efforts of all involved parties in facilitating his return, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Baghaei emphasized the ministry's dedication to safeguarding Iranian citizens abroad, asserting that it will persist in fulfilling its "inherent duties" to defend their rights.
Abedini was apprehended on December 16, 2024, at Milan's Malpensa Airport after arriving from Istanbul. He had been held in a Milan prison at the request of the United States, which accused him of providing materials for a drone strike on a US military installation in Jordan on January 28, 2024. This attack resulted in the deaths of three US service members.
In a related development, Iran announced on Wednesday the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, 29, who had been in detention since December 19, 2024. Sala, a podcaster with the Chora Media group and a writer for Il Foglio daily, was arrested while on a reporting assignment in Iran for allegedly breaching the nation's laws, according to the Iranian Culture Ministry.
Sala returned to Italy aboard a military aircraft, landing at Rome's Ciampino Airport on Wednesday afternoon. Her release came after "intensive diplomatic and intelligence efforts" as stated by the Italian government.
Although the Italian government has not confirmed any direct link between the two cases, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni remarked last week that Sala's release resulted from a diplomatic "triangulation" involving the United States and Iran.
On Sunday, the Italian Justice Ministry indicated that it had found no grounds to extradite Mr. Abedini. A spokesperson for the U.S. Justice Department chose not to comment.
