Justice Minister Carlo Nordio requested the Milan Court of Appeals to revoke the arrest of Iranian citizen Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi. The decision to release him was confirmed on Sunday, and he has since returned to Iran.
Abedini, a 38-year-old engineer, was arrested by Italian authorities on December 16 following a US warrant. The US accused him of exporting drone parts used in an attack that killed three US servicemen in Jordan last year. However, the justice ministry stated that the charges, based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (a US federal law), do not align with Italian law, which is required for extradition under the Italy-US treaty.
The Iranian foreign ministry welcomed the decision. Spokesman Esmail Baghaei praised “the cooperation of all sides involved” in securing Abedini’s release. Baghaei highlighted the ministry’s commitment to protecting Iranian citizens abroad, stating it “will not spare any effort in fulfilling its duty.”
The case drew attention when Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was detained in Tehran just days after Abedini’s arrest. Sala returned to Italy last week following her release. Tehran denied any connection between the two cases. It rejected claims that Sala’s detention was an attempt to pressure Italy into releasing Abedini.
Abedini’s release ends a month-long legal process. The justice ministry cited Article 2 of the extradition treaty between Italy and the United States. This article requires dual criminality for extradition requests. Since the alleged offence does not constitute a crime under Italian law, the court ruled in Abedini’s favour.
