Italy’s justice minister has requested the cancellation of the arrest of an Iranian man wanted by the United States for allegedly supplying material used in a drone attack that resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers, as announced by the Italian government on Sunday.
Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, 38, was apprehended last month in Milan following a request for his extradition from the U.S. Justice Department. He stands accused of providing material for an attack carried out by an Iranian-backed militia on a military base in Jordan.
The Italian Justice Ministry stated that they lacked sufficient grounds to extradite him and subsequently requested his release. While Iranian state media and Mr. Abedini’s lawyer confirmed his freedom, official confirmation from the Italian government is pending.
This development comes shortly after Iran released an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, who was detained three days after Mr. Abedini’s arrest. The circumstances surrounding her arrest were vague, with accusations of violating Iranian laws without further elaboration from authorities.
Although no direct link between these two cases was confirmed by Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hinted at diplomatic negotiations involving the U.S., Iran, and Italy leading to Ms. Sala’s release.
Following Italy’s decision, IRNA reported that Mr. Abedini would be returning to Iran imminently.
In their statement on Sunday, Italy’s Justice Ministry highlighted that extradition can only occur for offenses punishable in both countries under their treaty with the United States. They emphasized that one of Mr. Abedini’s alleged crimes - conspiring to export electronic components against U.S. laws – is not illegal in Italy.
Furthermore, there was insufficient evidence provided to support another accusation against him regarding support for a foreign terrorist organization according to Italian authorities.
Leily Nikounazar contributed to this report.
2025-01-12 11:08:28
Article sourced from www.nytimes.com