Italy has summoned Iran’s ambassador to demand the immediate release of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained in Tehran in December. The case has become politically sensitive, with mounting public pressure from both the government and opposition.
Sala, a reporter for Il Foglio newspaper, was arrested on December 19, six days after arriving in Iran on a journalist’s visa. Tehran confirmed her detention, citing charges of violating the country’s laws, though no specifics were provided regarding which laws she allegedly broke.
The Italian foreign ministry has called for her release, emphasizing her right to “dignified detention conditions” and access to consular services. Sala’s family also reported concerning details about her conditions, including that she was sleeping on the floor and had not received a second package of personal items from the Italian embassy. The opposition Democratic Party condemned her treatment, calling it “inhuman.”
Sala is reportedly being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, known for housing political dissidents. Her arrest has dominated Italian news, even appearing in President Sergio Mattarella’s end-of-year speech to the nation.
Complicating the situation is the possible link between Sala’s detention and that of Mohammad Abedini-Najafabad, an Iranian man arrested in Italy on December 16. Abedini, detained at Milan’s Malpensa airport, is facing US charges related to a January drone attack in Jordan that killed three American troops.
Italian media have suggested that Sala’s case is being used by Iran as leverage to secure Abedini’s release. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani did not rule out this possibility when asked about it. This tactic is not new for Iran, which has a history of using individuals with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations, dating back to the 1979 US Embassy crisis.
