Iran released Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, whose arrest in Tehran last month had sparked fears of a lengthy hostage crisis.

An Italian journalist detained in Iran since Dec. 19 has been freed. Premier Giorgia Meloni's office said Wednesday that a plane carrying Cecilia Sala left Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels.

ROME (Reuters) - Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who had been arrested and imprisoned in Iran, has been freed and is on a plane taking her back home, the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Wednesday.

Word of Sala’s release is met with cheers in Italy, where her plight had dominated headlines, as lawmakers hail the successful negotiations to bring

Sala has been detained in Iran since 19 December, three days after she arrived in the country on a journalist visa.View on euronews

Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained in Iran for three weeks, has been released and is returning home.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in Iran and is flying home, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Wednesday.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's office told the media that a plane carrying Cecilia Sala took off from Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,” and Meloni had informed Sala's parents of the news.

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.

Italian reporter Cecilia Sala was released from an Iranian prison and is on a plane leaving the country, the Italian government said in a statement on Wednesday.