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Sala-Abedini Case: Diplomatic Developments Following the Release of the Iranian Engineer

Mohammad Abedini, the Iranian engineer arrested in Malpensa on a US warrant, has been freed and returned to Iran. The Italian government denies links with the release of Cecilia Sala, but hypotheses of a secret agreement with Donald Trump are emerging.

Sala-Abedini Case: Diplomatic Developments Following the Release of the Iranian Engineer

Abedini Returns to Iran: Official Reasons

Tehran has announced the imminent return of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, the Iranian engineer arrested in Italy on December 16 on a US warrant and released this morning at the request of the Italian Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio. According to the official Iranian agency Mizan, the release was the result of negotiations between Iranian intelligence and Italian secret services. “The problem was solved thanks to cooperation between the parties”, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stressed.

The legal case: the reasons for the release

Abedini was arrested at Malpensa airport while transiting a flight from Istanbul to another destination. The United States accuses him of providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), considered a terrorist organization by the United States, in connection with a drone strike in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

The Italian Justice Ministry, however, denied that the charges met the requirements for extradition, quoting Article 2 of the bilateral treaty with the USA: “Only crimes punishable under the laws of both Contracting Parties may give rise to extradition.” Furthermore, Italian authorities have stressed the lack of evidence to support the charges, stating that Abedini's activities were related to the production and trade of technological instruments with possible, but not exclusive, military applications.

The request for revocation of the precautionary measure, signed by Minister Nordio, was accepted by the Court of Appeal of Milano this morning. Shortly after, Abedini left Italy to return to Tehran.

Connection with the Sala case: between denials and speculations

The arrest and release of Abedini have been linked by some observers to the recent case of Cecilia Sala, the Italian journalist arrested in Iran in December and released on January 8. The Italian government has categorically denied any connection between the two cases. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Sala's arrest was not in retaliation for Abedini's and that the two incidents were "not connected."

Of the opposite opinion is Angelo Bonelli, co-leader of Alleanza Verdi Sinistra, who defined the release of Cecilia Sala as “a negotiated exchange”. Bonelli criticized the government’s attitude, underlining a hypothetical dependence on foreign decisions and lamenting the lack of autonomy compared to the past, citing the famous Sigonella case during the leadership of Bettino Craxi.

A secret deal with Trump?

One element that fuels speculation is the alleged top secret agreement between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump, concluded during a lightning visit to Florida. According to supporters of these hypotheses, Abedini's release and the denial of extradition would represent the "price" paid by Italy to obtain Sala's release. However, no official source has confirmed this version of events.

The reactions and implications

Abedini's lawyer, Francesco De Francesco, said he was satisfied with Minister Nordio's decision and praised the sensitivity shown in protecting Italian constitutional principles related to personal freedom. "My client has always believed in justice, and today this trust has been repaid," he said.

The affair raises questions about diplomatic relations between Italy, the United States and Iran, and about Italy's role in managing situations involving conflicting interests. On the one hand, the Italian government seems to have avoided a direct clash with Washington; on the other, accusations of a lack of political autonomy weigh on the internal debate.

The liberation of Abedini and Cecilia Sala represents a complex episode, in which judicial, diplomatic and political issues are intertwined.

Caso Sala-Abedini: il rilascio dell’ingegnere iraniano e il presunto accordo segreto

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