Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Detained in Iran Amid Reporting Assignment
The Italian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested in Tehran last Thursday while she was in the country on a reporting assignment. The ministry stated that both the Italian embassy and consulate in Tehran are actively monitoring the situation. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is also involved, ensuring that efforts are made to clarify Sala's legal status and to guarantee her wellbeing during detention.
On Friday, Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei visited Sala to assess her conditions and provide updates to her family. Since her arrest, Sala has reportedly been permitted two phone calls with her relatives. Following a request from Sala's parents, the Italian Foreign Ministry has urged the media to exercise discretion to aid in a prompt and favorable resolution of the situation.
Cecilia Sala is a contributor to the Italian newspaper Il Foglio and the voice behind the podcast Stories by Chora Media. Her work has appeared in several prominent Italian outlets, including Vanity Fair, Wired, and L'Espresso. Notably, she recently released a podcast episode featuring Zeinab Musavi, an Iranian comedian who has publicly criticized the mandatory hijab laws in Iran. Musavi herself was imprisoned earlier this year but has since been released.
Chora Media released a statement on Friday detailing that Sala was taken to Tehran's Evin Prison, which is notorious for holding political dissidents. She has reportedly been in solitary confinement for over a week. Although the reasons for her detention have not been formally disclosed, Chora Media highlighted that they only chose to share this distressing news after consulting the Italian authorities and Sala's parents, who hoped keeping the matter private would lead to a quicker release. However, that has not occurred.
Sala departed from Rome on December 12 with a valid journalistic visa and received official assurances as a foreign correspondent. During her time in Iran, she conducted interviews and produced three podcast episodes before her communications ceased on the morning of December 19, just days before she was expected to return to Italy.
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