Tehran, IRNA – Elite Iranian citizen Mohammad Abedini, who had been arrested in Italy, arrived in Tehran on Sunday evening, according to an announcement by the Iranian Judiciary's Media Center.
The center said that Abedini, who had been arrested following a misunderstanding, was released from detention in Italy as a result of efforts by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, and following negotiations between intelligence services of the two countries.
The misunderstanding was resolved and Abedini was released from prison, the Iranian Judiciary said.
A few hours before his return to Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei announced Abedini’s release and said he would return home.
Baghaei expressed satisfaction on his release and appreciated all relevant bodies for their cooperation in that regard. The spokesman reaffirmed that the Foreign Ministry will spare no effort to support the rights of Iranian nationals abroad, which he said is the inherit duty of the ministry.
Abedini, 38, a mechanical engineering graduate from Sharif University of Technology, was detained on December 16 by Italian police at Milan Airport while preparing to travel to Switzerland.
His release came after the Italian Ministry of Justice announced that the Minister of Justice had submitted a request to cancel the arrest warrant for Abedini.
According to Italian law, the courts are required to comply with the Minister of Justice's request.
Earlier, the Director General of West European Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, said that Abedini’s arrest was an “illegal” action taken by Italy at the request of the US government and in line with its “political and hostile” intentions.
He added that the US government seeks to take Iranian nationals across the world hostage by imposing extraterritorial enforcement of the country's domestic laws.
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