The Italian government keeps negotiating with Iran authorities to free Cecilia Sala, the journalist detained in prison in Tehran, since Dec. 19, despite having a “regular journalistic visa,” Italian newspaper Il Foglio wrote reporting first the incident. The reasons for the arrest have not yet been clarified, nor has Iran formalized charges against her, but the United States has also come to the table of the negotiations.
Sala’s detention could be linked to another arrest made just days earlier at Milan’s Malpensa airport, as a kind of retaliation by Tehran. On Dec. 16, under an international arrest warrant issued by the United States on Dec. 13, Italian authorities detained and placed Mohammad Abedininajafabadi (or simply Abedini), 38, in custody, pending extradition to Massachusetts where he will join his alleged accomplice Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, who is currently in custody.
LINKEDIN/ANSA/ATTENZIONE LA FOTO NON PUO’ ESSERE PUBBLICATA O RIPRODOTTA SENZA L’AUTORIZZAZIONE DELLA FONTE DI ORIGINE CUI SI RINVIA+++ NPK +++
According to the U.S. authorities, Abedini, who has dual Swiss and Iranian citizenship, and Sadeghi, a U.S. and Iranian citizen, have been charged each with conspiracy and violating international sanctions imposed on Iran. Official documents show that Abedini, as the owner of an Iranian company engaged in foreign trade, allegedly illegally supplied U.S. drones and ballistic missiles to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group. These materials were reportedly used on January 28, 2024, in an attack on a military base located in northern Jordan where three Americans died and more than 40 were wounded. For this, Abedini could face life in prison and a $250,000 fine, in addition to a shared sentence with Sadeghi of 20 years detained and a $1 million fine.
Iranian agency Tasnim, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, commented that “the lack of official notification to the Iranian embassy and the denial of access to Abedini, an Iranian citizen, is a clear example of abduction.”
In Italy, U.S. authorities have already formalized the request for Abedini’s extradition by sending official documents with the charges. Now, it is up to the Milan Prosecutor’s Office, which has opened a Model 45 file, of a fact-finding nature, to evaluate the case. However, Italian agency ANSA reports that a possible flaw in the arrest arrangements could lead to the nullity of the act complicating the extradition process, but facilitating diplomatic negotiations for an “exchange” with Sala. It could take at least 10 days to get to a solution. The Milan Court of Appeals will have to schedule a hearing, the judges sift through the charges and give the Ministry of Justice the green light to validate the extradition.
Meanwhile, according to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Sala is in an isolated cell in Evin prison, where political dissidents are notably held. The Italian journalist, who was due to return to Italy on Dec. 20, has been able to make two calls to her family, is “in good health” and is receiving “treatment that respects the dignity of the person,” and “we will continue to verify with the consular visits that we will make, at the moment we have not had any negative signals,” Minister Tajani reported.
