31-12-2024 (DUBAI) A 29-year-old Italian journalist has been detained in Tehran for allegedly breaching Iranian law, state media confirmed yesterday, adding another layer of complexity to the already strained diplomatic relations between Iran and Western nations.
The Iranian Culture Ministry announced through the state-run IRNA news agency that Cecilia Sala, who entered Iran on 13 December with proper journalistic credentials, was taken into custody six days later. The ministry cited unspecified violations of the Islamic Republic’s laws as grounds for her arrest.
Sala, a correspondent for Il Foglio newspaper and podcast producer for Chora Media, had been conducting interviews and produced three episodes of her “Stories” podcast before her detention. Her media company revealed she was scheduled to return to Rome on 20 December.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the situation as “complicated” whilst addressing the matter on Saturday. He notably sidestepped questions regarding potential connections between Sala’s detention and Italy’s recent arrest of an Iranian national at American authorities’ behest.
Sources confirm that Sala has maintained telephone contact with her family, and Iranian officials have kept the Italian embassy in Tehran informed of the situation. The journalist’s detention marks the latest in a series of foreign national arrests in Iran, a pattern that has drawn international scrutiny.
Western diplomats and human rights organisations have repeatedly expressed concern over Iran’s detention of foreign nationals, suggesting these arrests may serve as diplomatic leverage. Iranian authorities have consistently rejected such characterisations, maintaining that all arrests are conducted within the framework of national security and legal protocols.
