Iran confirmed on Monday that it had arrested Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for “violating the law,” state media reported, although Italy condemned the move as “unacceptable.”
Citing a statement, state news agency IRNA said: “Italian national Cecilia Sala traveled to Iran on December 13, 2024 on a journalist visa and was arrested on December 19, 2024 for violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “I told him,” he said. The Ministry of Culture made the announcement without providing details.
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“Her case is currently under investigation,” added the ministry, which oversees and certifies foreign journalists in Iran.
Sara’s last post on X was on Dec. 17, and included a link to a podcast titled “Conversations on Patriarchy in Tehran.”
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According to Chola Media, the Italian podcast publisher where Sara worked, Sara had traveled to Iran from Rome on a journalist visa and was scheduled to return home on December 20.
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Italy on Friday condemned Sara’s arrest as “unacceptable” and announced that she was being held in Tehran’s Evin prison. Paola Amadei, the Italian ambassador to Tehran, visited her.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that efforts to free Sala were “complex”.
Iran’s Culture Ministry confirmed on Monday that Sara had been granted consular assistance and was “in contact with her family by phone.”
