Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested on 19 December by Tehran police, the Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday. Sala is reportedly being held in the Iranian capital’s notorious Evin Prison.
Rome-born Sala, 29, is the correspondent for Italian daily Il Foglio and hosts her own podcast. She has also worked with state broadcaster Rai. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that Sala is in good health and that Italy is working discreetly to secure her return. “The utmost discretion is needed over the case,” Tajani emphasised.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement, noting that, “By order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, the Italian embassy and consulate in Tehran have been closely monitoring the case since its inception. In coordination with Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office, the Farnesina has engaged with Iranian authorities to clarify Sala’s legal situation and verify the conditions of her detention. Today, Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei conducted a consular visit to check on Sala’s health and detention conditions. The family has been informed of the visit’s outcome.”
Former detainee Alessia Piperno, an Italian writer held at Evin Prison for 45 days in 2022, expressed solidarity with Sala. Piperno told ANSA, “I tell Cecilia Sala to hold on like I did for 45 days. In Evin Prison, they don’t physically harm foreigners, but mentally they wear you down a lot. I know what the terror of being alone in a cell means. I hug her parents; I imagine their pain, which is like what mine felt.”
Who is Cecilia Sala?
Born in 1995 in Rome, Sala works in journalism, mainly covering foreign affairs. She studied economics at Milan’s Luigi Bocconi University but left six exams short of obtaining her bachelor’s degree.
In 2015, she began working as a correspondent and reporter for Vice News. Later, she joined journalist Michele Santoro’s programme Servizio Pubblico on LA7. Over the years, Sala has contributed to Vanity Fair, L’Espresso, Rai, and Will Media. Sala also worked on the editorial team for LA7’s political talk show Otto e Mezzo. In November 2019, she joined Il Foglio.
Sala’s podcasting achievements include Polvere, released in 2020 by the Huffington Post. The podcast, created with Chiara Lalli, delved into the 1997 murder of Marta Russo, a law student at Sapienza University of Rome. The case drew significant media attention due to its lack of clear evidence or motive. Giovanni Scattone was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison after a lengthy trial. Sala and Lalli’s audio series was adapted into the book Polvere: The Marta Russo Case, published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore in May 2021.
In January 2022, Sala launched Stories, a daily podcast produced by Chora Media, which explores global events and narratives.
