Reports from the Italian Foreign Ministry or international news agencies

Italy Demands Immediate Release of Journalist Cecilia Sala from Iran's Evin Prison

Jan 2, 2025, 11:20 AM

Italy has escalated its diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was arrested in Tehran on December 19. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Iranian ambassador to Rome to demand Sala's immediate release and to ensure her rights are respected. Sala, a 29-year-old freelance correspondent for Il Foglio and a podcaster for Chora News, entered Iran on a journalist visa and has been detained in Evin prison, charged with breaching Islamic law. The Italian government has expressed serious concern over her conditions of detention, which include sleeping on the floor without a mattress, being held in solitary confinement under 24-hour light, and being denied her glasses and care packages. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to discuss the case with ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice later on Thursday.