Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini
Najafabadi on Friday morning told his attorney Alfredo De
Francesco during a meeting at Milan's Opera prison that he will
pray for Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, held at Tehran's Evin
prison, and for himself.
Sala was arrested on generic charges of breaking Islamic laws in
the Iranian capital on December 19, three days after Abedini was
picked up at Milan's Malpensa Aiport on US charges of allegedly
supplying drone parts used to kill three servicemen in Jordan a
year ago.
"I will pray for her and for myself", Abedini told his attorney
during the meeting.
The Iranian engineer reiterated his concern for his family and
also asked for information on the case regarding Sala, a
29-year-old Il Foglio freelance correspondent and Chora News
podcaster.
An appeals court in Milan has scheduled a hearing on January 15
to discuss the request presented by Abedini's attorney to place
him under house arrest.
On Thursday, Milan's prosecutor general issued a non-binding
negative opinion on releasing Abedini to house arrest.
A document delivered by US judicial officials to the appeals
court in Milan in charge of the case says the engineer is a
dangerous individual and must remain in prison.
The four-page document was delivered through diplomatic channels
to the Italian judges a few days after the arrest of the
38-year-old on December 16, before his defence attorney asked
the court to grant him house arrest.
Tehran has requested the release of Abedini and it is suspected
that Sala is being held as a possible pawn for a potential
prisoner exchange.
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