The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Iranian ambassador, demanding the immediate release of journalist Cecilia Sala. The 29-year-old journalist was detained in Tehran on December 19 for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic laws.
Sala was in Iran to produce reports, working for a podcast with Chora Media and the newspaper Il Foglio. She left Rome on December 12 with a journalist visa and was reportedly arrested while preparing to return to Italy.
Italian media report that she is held in Evin Prison, known for its poor conditions, allegedly in solitary confinement with freezing temperatures and continuous fluorescent lighting. Her glasses have reportedly been confiscated, and she has limited external contact.
It is speculated that Sala’s arrest is linked to the Italian police’s December arrest of an Iranian at the request of the U.S. government, on suspicion of supplying drone parts used in a 2023 attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan. The Iranian embassy refutes the allegations against the Iranian and claims Italy is violating international laws.
The embassy asserts Sala is being treated well in prison and demands the same treatment for the Iranian detainee, including his expedited release. Iran has a history of detaining foreigners for diplomatic leverage, known as “hostage diplomacy.” In June last year, two Swedes detained in Iran were exchanged for an Iranian convict serving a life sentence in Sweden for involvement in executions of hundreds of Iranian opposition members in the 1980s.
Source: NOS