Italy has summoned Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sabouri, demanding the immediate release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, detained in Tehran since December 19. Sala, a correspondent for Il Foglio, was arrested six days after entering Iran on a journalist’s visa.
Iranian authorities confirmed through the state-run IRNA news agency that Sala was arrested on charges of violating Iranian law. However, details remain undisclosed.
The Italian foreign ministry insists on Sala’s release and has called for “dignified detention conditions in full respect of human rights,” including consular access and visitation rights. Italy’s opposition Democratic Party has also condemned her detention, citing reports from Sala’s family that she is being held under harsh conditions, including sleeping on the floor and not receiving personal supplies.
“The news of her conditions is alarming,” the Democratic Party stated. “Such inhuman treatment is unacceptable.”
The case has gripped Italian media and was even referenced in President Sergio Mattarella’s recent year-end address.
Diplomatic Complications
Speculation has arisen linking Sala’s detention to the case of Mohammad Abedini-Najafabad, an Iranian man arrested in Milan on December 16. Abedini faces charges in the United States related to a January 2024 drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.
Abedini’s lawyer, Alfredo De Francesco, has requested house arrest while his case is under review by Italian courts. The U.S. Justice Department has not confirmed any direct connection between Sala’s detention and their drone investigation.
Italian media suggest Sala may be used as leverage to negotiate Abedini’s release. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani did not rule out the possibility during a recent interview.
Iran has a history of detaining foreign nationals as bargaining tools in diplomatic disputes, dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis. The unfolding situation raises further concerns about Sala’s welfare and broader diplomatic tensions between Rome and Tehran.
