A sit-in in Turin Sunday called on
the Italian government to "do the impossible" to secure the
release and return to Italy of Cecilia Sala, a Rome-born
journalist held in Tehran since December 19 on unknown charges
and possibly detained as leverage for an exchange with an
Iranian businessman arrested on a US warrant in Milan December
16.
The rally in the Piedmont capital urged the government led by
Giorgia Meloni to "intervene with the utmost urgency for the
release of the journalist Cecilia Sala, detained in Iran".
About fifty people participated, including city councilors of
Turin.
The initiative was promoted by the Marco Pannella Association,
the Adelaide Aglietta Association, Radical Europe, Liberal and
Popular Italy, +Europa Turin, students and representatives of
the Donna Vita Libertà campaign, and the Free Russians
Association.
"We know that the Italian government has asked us not to
demonstrate, but we disobey, we demonstrate - explained Igor
Boni (Europa Radicale) because we believe that when the news is
given that for a week one of our journalists from a democratic
country who provides information has been arrested without
charge in a dictatorial country like Iran, the last thing to do
is remain silent.
"We are not here against the Italian government, but we ask them
to do the impossible.
"We are in the square for Cecilia Sala - added Igor Boni - but
we have already demonstrated many times against the murderous
theocratic regime of Iran.
"We did it for the Iranian-Swedish doctor and researcher
Ahmadreza Djalali, who worked at the University of Eastern
Piedmont and who, upon returning to Iran, was arrested, accused
of espionage and sentenced to death.
"He is in the same prison where Cecilia Sala is today and there
are Iranian and non-Iranian dissidents who are fighting against
the regime".
Another representative of Radical Europe, city councilor Silvio
Viale, pointed out the heterogeneity of the square saying "there
are representatives of various political origins. And I wish
(Foreign) Minister (Antonio) Tajani all the best for success:
the diplomatic initiative must be strong and not only Italian,
but European, at the widest possible level".
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