An Italian journalist detained in Iran last month has been freed and is on a flight back to Rome, the Italian government says. Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on 19 December, three days after an Iranian engineer was detained by Italian authorities in Milan on suspicion of supplying drone technology that led to the deaths of US soldiers.

A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, landed at Rome's Ciampino airport, where Premier Giorgia Meloni was on hand to welcome her alongside Sala's family.

After more than three weeks of detention, Cecilia Sala has been released from Tehran's Evin Prison and was met at the airport in Rome by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been released from Iran’s Evin prison after over three weeks in detention, according to a statement from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office on Wednesday. Sala, a reporter for Il Foglio, was arrested on December 19 while on a journalistic visa in Tehran.

Cecilia Sala, 29, who was detained last month while on a reporting trip, was on a plane home, the Italian government announced.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, arrested in Iran three weeks ago, was released on Wednesday, the Italian government has announced. Sala, 29, who works for Italian newspaper Il Foglio and the Chora Media podcast company, was arrested on December 19, for allegedly "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic."

Italian journalist and podcaster Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in an Iranian prison, Italy’s government has confirmed. The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she is on a flight back to Italy,

Italy's foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on Thursday to demand the immediate release of reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a regular journalistic visa.