But be careful not to underestimate the situation. Usually when a regime like the Iranian one speaks like this, we must at least keep in mind two possible charges: that of being a spy for a foreign country or that of being a collaborator with Israel. Two rather serious charges, which would represent a big problem for the Hall. Tehran’s Foreign Ministry gave Ambassador Paola Amadei a list of Iranian lawyers from which to choose the defender of the Il Foglio journalist.
The dialogue with Tehran continues and it must be taken into account that what is being played is a double judicial game. The first obviously concerns Cecilia Sala, while the second calls into question drone engineer Mohammad Abedini-Najafabaniarrested at Malpensa and detained in Opera prison awaiting the decision on the extradition requested by the United States. The 38-year-old is accused by Washington of “conspiring to export electronic components from the US to Iran in violation of US export control and sanctions laws and of having provided material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, considered by the US to be an terrorist attack, believed to be responsible for the deaths of three US soldiers killed by a drone attack on a base in Jordan.”
It is no coincidence that the reasons given by Tehran for the arrest of Cecilia Sala aim to distance themselves from the reconstructions according to which the arrest of the Italian journalist was a sort of retaliation. Yesterday Abedini’s lawyer filed the request for the granting of house arrest to his client currently detained in the Opera prison in Milan. The possible granting of a milder custodial measure would certainly be read as an opening signal towards Iran, ready to do anything to safeguard the expert in drones and military systems. A kind of bargaining chip, which could make the difference during negotiations.
The Court of Appeal of Milan has forwarded the request to the Attorney General’s Office house arrest: as far as AGI has learned, the decision of the Attorney General Francesca Nanni, who is studying the case, will not arrive today but is expected in the next few days. In the request, the lawyer insists on the fact that there is no danger that his client will flee Italy if he were to be placed under house arrest in an apartment in Milan indicated by him. Furthermore, it emerges from the request that it was Tehran’s diplomatic representation that guaranteed the certainty that Abedini will not flee. An element which, in the intentions of the defense, should reassure the judges burned by the precedent of the Russian Artem Uss, whose extradition was always requested by the USA, who escaped from house arrest.
As highlighted previously, the hypothesis of retaliation is far from being discarded, despite Iran’s attempts. The time of Sala’s arrest is emblematic: 12.30, one hour after the conclusion of the hearing before the Milan Court of Appeal in which Abedini denied consent to extradition. In the absence of detailed accusations, the path that leads to the immediate resolution of the case, with expulsion from the country. A solution that can be implemented in a short time, especially in the event of good news from Milan…
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