Italy has issued a strong demand for the immediate release of Cecilia Sala, a 29-year-old journalist and podcaster currently being held in solitary confinement at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Sala, a correspondent for Il Foglio and Chora Media, relayed distressing details about her imprisonment during a phone call to her parents. She described sleeping on the floor of her cell and urged them to appeal to Italian authorities for urgent intervention.
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Sala’s detention is emblematic of Iran’s ongoing crackdown on press freedoms. Sala, arrested on December 19, reportedly held a valid press visa and had been covering anti-government protests. Her podcast has spotlighted critical perspectives, including an episode featuring Zeynab Mousavi, a comedian jailed for opposing the mandatory hijab laws. Iran alleges Sala violated its laws but has withheld specific charges.
Italy’s ambassador to Iran, Paola Amadei, visited Sala on December 27, delivering essential items like clothes, books, and an eye mask to mitigate the harsh conditions of her cell. However, Sala later informed her parents that she had not received the package. Conditions in Evin prison, according to Human Rights Watch, include prolonged isolation, medical neglect, and coercion into confessions, with isolation cells reportedly bitterly cold.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has escalated the issue, demanding Sala’s immediate release and assurances about her treatment. Her detention coincides with Italy’s arrest of Mohammad Abedini, a dual Swiss-Iranian national accused of supplying drone components to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The timing has fueled speculation of a potential prisoner swap, with experts like Kylie Moore-Gilbert highlighting Iran’s “hostage diplomacy.”
Moore-Gilbert, a former detainee in Iran, called Sala’s case another instance of the regime targeting foreign nationals for leverage.
