TEHRAN – Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday to discuss the potential release of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian engineer currently imprisoned in Italy, according to a report by ANSA news agency. 

According to ANSA, the meeting focused on the circumstances surrounding Abedini Najafabadi's detention and the possibility of his release. The Prime Minister’s office also confirmed that the discussions were aimed at evaluating legal options and diplomatic avenues that could facilitate Abedini Najafabadi's return to his home country.

Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian engineer and entrepreneur, has been imprisoned in Italy for three weeks on baseless charges put forth by Washington. His imprisonment reflects a pattern of the U.S. using Iranian nationals for political leverage.

U.S. hostage-taking

On December 16, Abedini Najafabadi was arrested at Malpensa Airport by Italian authorities after arriving from Istanbul. His arrest occurred upon U.S. order, which accused him of involvement in a 2024 drone attack Iraq’s Resistance forces conducted against an illegal American base in West Asia. 

Abedini Najafabadi has denied all charges, and officials in Tehran have condemned his detention as politically motivated. Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the Italian and Swiss ambassadors, warning of potential damage to bilateral relations due to Italy's alignment with provocative U.S. policies.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has described the detention as a form of hostage-taking, emphasizing that the accusations involve circumventing unilateral U.S. sanctions. He argued that fabricating legal grounds to detain Iranian citizens is illegal and a violation of human rights.

Abedini Najafabadi founded the Iranian company Sanat Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak (SDRA) in 2011, specializing in precision measurement equipment, including navigation systems. In 2019, he established Illumove SA in Switzerland, which focuses on fusion-based navigation solutions.

Illumove SA, operating under Swiss governmental oversight, is fully transparent, with its operations publicly accessible. The U.S. says Abedini Najafabadi is responsible for the drone attacks because his company products allegedly made up some parts of the weapon deployed against the American base in West Asia. 

‘Case of Abedini and released Italian journalist separated’

Italy’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday that Tehran had wanted the case of Cecilia Sala, the Italian journalist released by Iran after being arrested in the West Asian country last month, separated from that of Mohammed Adedini Najafabadi.

"The Iranians themselves separated the two (cases)," Tajani told Rai television when asked about the possible impact of the meeting in Florida at the weekend between Premier Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. "In the meantime, let's enjoy the return of Cecilia Sala, a good journalist, to Italy,” he added. 

Sala was arrested after violating several Iranian laws. Her violations have not been disclosed to the public. She returned to Italy after “diplomatic efforts” took place, the Italian prime minister announced on X.