Cecilia Sala in Isolation at Evin: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Working for Her Release

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, known for her podcast Stories on Chora Media, has been held in isolation at Evin Prison in Tehran since December 19. Sala, who left Rome on December 12 with a valid eight-day journalistic visa, was in Iran to conduct interviews and gather material for her work. Among her recent podcast episodes, Sala interviewed Kanaani, one of the founders of the Pasdaran, Zeinab Musavi, Iran’s most famous stand-up comedian, and Diba, a young Iranian opposed to the regime.

Detention at Evin: The “University of Dissent”

Evin Prison, located in the hills north of Tehran, is infamously known as a detention center for political dissidents, intellectuals, and activists of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. According to Human Rights Watch, at least a quarter of Iranian political prisoners are currently held in this facility, nicknamed the “university” because it serves as a political training ground for detained dissidents. Sala had often recounted Evin’s stories in her podcast.

Since her arrest on December 19, Sala has been allowed two brief phone calls with her family. On the morning of December 20, when she was supposed to board a flight to Rome, her phone went silent, raising alarm among colleagues and family. Chora Media stated:
“Knowing Cecilia, who has always promptly sent her podcast recordings even in difficult situations, we became concerned and alerted the Crisis Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Maximum Effort for Her Release

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, in Iran to carry out journalistic services, was detained on December 19 by the Tehran police authorities. Following instructions from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, the Italian Embassy and Consulate in Tehran have been closely monitoring the case from the beginning. In coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked with Iranian authorities to clarify Cecilia Sala’s legal situation and verify the conditions of her detention.”
With this note dated December 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced the journalist’s arrest.

December 22: The Italian Ambassador’s Prison Visit

On the morning of December 22, the Italian ambassador to Tehran, Paola Amadei, conducted a consular visit to verify the journalist’s condition and subsequently informed Sala’s family of the meeting’s outcomes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in agreement with Sala’s parents, requested discretion from the press to facilitate a swift and positive resolution of the situation.

Alessia Piperno: “To Cecilia, I Say Stay Strong”

“To Cecilia Sala, I would ideally say to stay strong as I did for 45 days: in Evin Prison, they don’t physically harm foreigners, but mentally they test you a lot. I know what it means to face the terror of being alone in a cell. I send a hug to her parents; I can imagine their pain, which is like what my parents felt.”
This is what Alessia Piperno, the writer and travel blogger arrested in Iran in 2022 and released after 45 days in the same prison where Sala is now detained, told ANSA.

“My case and Cecilia Sala’s case are different,” Piperno continued. “I was in Iran because I was traveling. She is in Iran on an eight-day journalistic visa. I fear this might have been an outright trap because the Tehran authorities, who generally refuse visas to Western journalists, knew very well that she is a reporter.”

An Attack on Press Freedom

Cecilia Sala’s arrest represents a direct attack on press freedom. The increasingly insecure and paranoid Iranian regime appears to be struggling after losing its historical allies in Syria and Lebanon. In a context of growing international isolation and internal repression, the government seeks to silence every critical voice, whether internal or external.