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 journalist Cecilia Sala has been released from Iran’s Evin prison after over three weeks in detention, according to a statement from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office on Wednesday. Sala, a reporter for Il Foglio, was arrested on December 19 while on a journalistic visa in Tehran.

A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, landed at Rome's Ciampino airport, where Premier Giorgia Meloni was on hand to welcome her alongside Sala's family.

The Italian journalist returned to Rome on Wednesday after weeks of diplomatic wrangling between Italy and Iran.

After more than three weeks of detention, Cecilia Sala has been released from Tehran's Evin Prison and was met at the airport in Rome by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Italian journalist and podcaster Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in an Iranian prison, Italy’s government has confirmed. The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she is on a flight back to Italy,

Cecilia Sala, 29, was detained last month while on a reporting trip. She had been held for 20 days and told her family that she was kept in isolation.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala arrives in Rome after she was released from three weeks' detention in Iran.