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    Italian journalist Cecilia Sala arrested in Tehran

    European Newsdesk Posted on

    In an episode that smacks of hostage diplomacy, Iran has arrested Italian celebrity journalist Cecilia Sala hours before he departure from Tehran to pressure the Italian government to release Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian arrested in Italy on a US extradition request.

    “Since Thursday morning, when we lost contact with her, we’ve been united with one goal: bringing Cecilia home as soon as possible,” said Mario Calabresi, director of Chora Media, in an interview with Corriere della Sera. He spoke about the situation surrounding Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who has been imprisoned in Iran since December 19, under still-unknown charges. The news of Sala’s detention was disclosed by the Italian Foreign Ministry (Farnesina) only yesterday, and on the same day, Ambassador Paola Amedei visited the 29-year-old journalist, bringing her clothing and food and confirming that Sala is physically well. Sala is currently held in isolation in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

    Calabresi detailed Sala’s trip to Iran, explaining that it was a journey “very important to her.” She had long sought the visa and was eager to reconnect with her Iranian friends. The eight-day visa, with the possibility of extension, had reassured her. “She had shared her plans, meetings, and interviews with the authorities and had a fixer assigned by the embassy,” Calabresi noted. He described Sala as a serious and meticulous journalist, emphasizing how her failure to upload her podcast immediately raised concerns. “She’s not someone who delays,” he said, adding that this was their first sign something was wrong.

    Moreover, her phone was off, she had not been online on WhatsApp or Telegram for hours, and the following day it was confirmed she wasn’t on the flight home. The first to notify the Farnesina’s crisis unit was her colleague and partner, Daniele Raineri, followed by Calabresi himself.

    Calabresi described the contact with Sala’s family. “Late on the morning of Friday, the 20th, her mother called me to say she had heard from Cecilia. She told me it seemed as if Cecilia was reading from a prepared statement,” he said. Sala told her mother she had not been harmed, but that she had been arrested and was in prison. When her mother asked what had happened and why she was detained, Sala repeated the same statement. When asked where she was, Sala replied, “I can’t say,” before the call abruptly ended.

    Since then, Sala has spoken briefly with her father and her partner, but details remain scarce. She did manage to convey that for Christmas, she was given chicken with rice and two cigarettes.

    Calabresi explained the decision to remain silent about the situation until now. “Without formal charges, we initially hoped this could be resolved quickly, which is why we stayed silent for a week,” he said. He praised Italy’s commitment to protecting its citizens, recalling past incidents like the kidnapping of Domenico Quirico in Syria. “One thing about Italy is that it never abandons its citizens. Other countries have different approaches, but I know Italy won’t abandon Cecilia.”

    Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that no information about the charges or reasons for Sala’s arrest is yet available. “We don’t have further updates; we’ll see in the coming days. For now, the important thing is that she’s well, detained in a calm situation, alone in a cell,” Tajani said. “We can’t say more, but we’re working very intensively,” he assured.

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