Italian Journalist Arrested in Iran: Cecilia Sala Detained in Evin Prison

Cecilia Sala, a notable foreign correspondent from Italy, was arrested in Tehran on December 19 as she reported on significant social and political shifts in Iran. News of her detention only surfaced recently, prompting concern among her colleagues and family. Official sources have yet to provide the reason behind her arrest.

Sala, 29, had been in Iran since December 13, where she chronicled changes in women’s rights and observed growing dissent against the mandatory hijab laws. She was scheduled to return to Italy on December 20, but failed to arrive at the airport as expected. The Italian foreign ministry confirmed her arrest and noted that she is currently being held in Evin prison, known for housing political dissidents.

Claudio Cerasa, the editor of Il Foglio, the newspaper for which she writes, mentioned that Sala was operating under a standard reporting visa. Meanwhile, her partner, Daniele Raineri, who also works as a journalist for Il Post, reported that she is in solitary confinement, a concerning situation given Evin's notorious reputation for human rights abuses.

Political analysts and journalists alike are closely monitoring this situation, fearing that her detention could reflect broader consumer of freedoms for reporters in Iran. As calls for her release grow louder, the international journalism community stands in solidarity with Cecilia Sala.