Female Journalist Arrested For Alleged Violation Of Islamic Law
The Iranian government state media on Monday confirmed that it had arrested an Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for allegedly violating Islamic law.
The arrest was swiftly condemned by Italy as “unacceptable,” AP reports.
Sala, an Italian citizen, entered Iran on December 13, 2024, with a journalist visa, and was detained on December 19, 2024, for breaching the laws of the Islamic Republic, the official IRNA news agency reported, citing a statement from the Iranian Ministry of Culture.
However, no further details about the violation were provided.
The ministry added that the case is under investigation. It also oversees the accreditation of foreign journalists in Iran.
Sala, who is reportedly 29 years old, last posted on X (formerly Twitter) on December 17, sharing a link to a podcast titled “A Conversation on Patriarchy in Tehran.”
Sala had previously reported from Ukraine on the war involving Iran’s ally, Russia.
Chora Media, an Italian podcast publisher for which Sala works, confirmed that she had traveled to Iran on a journalist visa and was scheduled to return on December 20.
On Friday, Italy condemned her arrest as “unacceptable” and confirmed that she was being held at Tehran’s Evin prison.
Italy’s ambassador to Tehran, Paola Amadei, has visited Sala.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated on Saturday that efforts to secure her release were “complicated.”
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni’s office said she was “closely monitoring the complex situation.”
Iran’s Ministry of Culture confirmed on Monday that Sala had been granted consular assistance and had been in contact with her family by phone.
Sala’s arrest came just days after the United States and Italy arrested two Iranian nationals over alleged export violations linked to a deadly attack on American servicemen.
The two men, Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, were accused of conspiring to export advanced electronic components from the U.S. to Iran in violation of export control and sanctions laws, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement.
One of the suspects was arrested in Italy at Washington’s request.
The statement claimed the exported technology was used in a January drone strike that killed three U.S. servicemen in Jordan.
Iran has denied involvement in the attack. Earlier this month, Tehran formally protested the arrests to the Italian chargé d’affaires and the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents U.S. interests there.
Several other Europeans remain imprisoned in Iran, which has conducted multiple prisoner exchanges with Western governments in recent years, often mediated by Oman or Qatar.
For example, French citizens Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been detained since May 2022 on espionage charges, which carry the death penalty in Iran.
In June, Iran released two Swedes, including a European Union diplomat, in exchange for a former official held in Sweden, in a deal mediated by Oman.
In 2023, Oman also brokered the release of six European detainees in Iran, including Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who had been convicted of espionage and imprisoned for over a year.
