Iranian citizen jailed in Italy over ‘misunderstanding’ returns home

An Iranian citizen Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, who was detained in Italy over unfounded accusations, returned home after following his release from detention.

News ID: 5759

Date: 12 January 2025 - 22:35

TABNAK, Jan 12: According to Iran’s Judiciary media center, Abedini Najafabadi was arrested in Italy due to a "misunderstanding", which has been resolved following diplomatic bids by the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the negotiations between relevant intelligence units of the two countries.

It noted that all the moves taken by the two countries led to his release.

Two Iranian nationals have been recently arrested in the United States and Italy, allegedly for their involvement in equipping drones used in attacks on American forces.

According to reports, the arrests are allegedly linked to a January 28, 2024 drone attack carried out by Iraqi armed groups against a US military outpost in Jordan known as Tower 22.

Abedini Najafabadi, 38, a mechanical engineering graduate from Sharif University of Technology, was detained on December 16 by Italian police at Milan Airport while preparing to travel to Switzerland.

The arrest was made on a US warrant.

Around the same time, in Massachusetts, US authorities arrested Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, an engineer employed at an American semiconductor company.

The two arrests were reportedly linked to the same case, which is based on unsubstantiated allegations of violating US export laws and providing Iran with the technology used in the drone attack in Jordan.

The Italian justice ministry said on Sunday that it had filed a request to revoke the arrest of Abedini Najafabadi.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also confirmed Abedini Najafabadi’s release and his return to the country.

He said the Iranian diplomatic apparatus has made efforts to follow up on the case and hailed the cooperation of all the parties involved in this regard.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry will spare no efforts to carry out its duties to support the rights of Iranian nationals abroad, Baghaei emphasized.

The Iranian national was released after Tehran’s move to free Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was imprisoned for violating Iran's law.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday that a plane carrying Sala took off from Tehran after "intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels".