The Prosecutor’s Office on the drone man: no to house arrest. Meloni receives the journalist’s mother
A very tense day, and a situation still completely open. Because the government’s line is that “no blackmail” will be accepted either from the United States or from Iran. But there is no concrete solution yet in sight.
The arrest of Cecilia Sala, the Italian journalist detained in the infamous Evin prison where political opponents are locked up in very harsh conditions, is at the center of the executive’s action in these hours, so much so that it was held a summit at Palazzo Chigi with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Ministers Tajani and Justice Nordio and the Undersecretary Mantovano- who will inform the opposition on the developments on Monday in a hearing at Copasir – as well as the heads of the Services.
The acceleration came yesterday morning, after Cecilia Sala’s distressing words were released: «Hurry, they don’t give me anything here, they even took away my glasses, I sleep on the floor and I only have two blankets». All without clear accusations that justify the detention, but with a motivation that is no longer a mystery: Iran is calling for the release of its citizen Mohammad Abedini, arrested in Italy at the request of the US government which accuses him of terrorism and asks for his extradition, and transferred first to Busto Arsizio and then to Opera, under normal prison regime and with the possibility of speaking with family members and lawyers. The conditions in which the journalist finds herself are very different, bordering on psychological torture.
In short, it seems that Sala has now become a hostage, not a citizen in prison for some form of violation of Islamic lawsAnd. Or at least this is what they said to each other in a summit that lasted about an hour. In the final note the government confirms «the commitment to the Iranian authorities for the immediate release of Cecilia Sala and, pending it, respectful treatment of human dignity”. A request that had already been presented in the morning by Minister Tajani who had summoned the Iranian ambassador, but which was followed by a note from Tehran requesting “the immediate release of Abedini”. A request that Ambassador Paola Amadei, summoned by the Iranian authorities, will reiterate this morning.
The government is between two fires: on the one hand the pressure of the USA, on the other that of Iran. In the middle is a journalist who seems to have truly ended up in a tug of war, but who the executive does not leave alone, as also confirmed by Sala’s mother, who saw the prime minister at the end of the summit.
The note adds that as regards Abedini “the government reiterates that all prisoners are guaranteed equal treatment in compliance with Italian laws and international conventions”, and that therefore at least reciprocity is expected. In the meantime, the general prosecutor’s office of Milan – to which the American counterparts have informed that Abedini must remain in prison because he is a “dangerous subject” – has given an opinion against granting him house arrest. But the Court of Appeal will decide, and it will take at least 10 days. If the no to release were confirmed, only the possible decision of the Minister of Justice to grant it would remain. But could we give the US a slap in the face?
Meanwhile, the opposition is being asked to share information and lines for common action. Matteo Renzi does it forcefully, like Elly Schlein, who in any case had a conversation with Tajani. But no one argues, confirming that informal channels exist in a very delicate situation. Today the official ones will be activated, with Undersecretary Mantovano ready to report to Copasir. After a round of consultations with the opposition, the first available date was January 6th. While negotiations continue underground.
January 2, 2025 (changed January 2, 2025 | 10:15 pm)
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