Italian journalist Cecilia Sala returns home after being released from Iranian prison

An Italian journalist has returned to Rome after spending weeks in an Iranian prison.

Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on December 19, 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.

Reports say she was held in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin prison.

She was met by her partner as she left the plane at Rome's Ciampino airport before being welcomed home by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is understood to have taken personal responsibility for her case.

A well-known podcaster, Cecilia Sala's detention in a Tehran prison has outraged Italians and dominated headlines since her employer, Chora Media, broke the news of her arrest on December 27.

It has been published photo of Sala arriving on Wednesday afternoon.

Iran initially said it detained Salah for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic”, but US State Department officials said it may be related to the arrest of Iranian national Mohammad Abedini at Milan's Malpensa airport on 16 December.

He was arrested on a US warrant and an official told Italian media that Sala was used as “political leverage”.

It is not clear what prompted Iran to release her, but the news was announced in a statement by Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who cited “intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels”.

Meloni met with US President-elect Donald Trump at the weekend, when the journalist's detention is believed to have been discussed.

Outgoing President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Rome later this week.

Meloni thanked “everyone who contributed to making Cecilia's return possible.”

Sala's partner, fellow journalist Daniele Raineri, told Ansa news agency: “I spoke to her and she said 'See you soon', she was emotional and very happy.”

Mohammad Abedini is due to stand trial in Milan on January 15, and in recent days Tehran has played down any link between the two cases.

The head of Italian foreign intelligence, Giovanni Caravelli, personally traveled to Tehran to bring Sala back to Italy.

Her father, Renato Sala, told Ansa that he was proud of her and praised the government for its “exceptional work”.

He said he had the impression that the situation had become “a game of chess, but with more than two players”.

Renato Sala also thanked Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pointing out that they had lived close to each other for 12 years and had become friends.