Iran confirmed the arrest of an Italian journalist

Iranian authorities have confirmed for the first time that Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been arrested in the country for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic”.

A US State Department spokesman told Italian daily La Repubblica that Ms Sala’s case could be linked to the recent arrest of an Iranian national in Milan at the request of the United States.

Ms. Sala, a 29-year-old journalist and host of a popular news and foreign affairs podcast, was detained in Iran on December 19, a day before she was due to fly home from a reporting trip.

She is reportedly currently in solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin prison.

On December 16, an Iranian national, Mohammad Abedini, was arrested in Milan on charges of supplying electronic parts for drones to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which led to the deaths of three American soldiers. The United States is currently seeking Mr. Abedini’s extradition from Italy.

A US State Department spokesman, quoted by La Repubblica, said Ms Sala was being used as “political leverage”.

Neither the Italian nor the Iranian governments have confirmed the connection between Cecilia Sala and Mohammad Abedini.

However, on December 21, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a high-ranking Italian diplomat in connection with Mr. Abedini’s arrest.

Italy condemned Ms Sala’s arrest as “unacceptable” and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said efforts to free her were “difficult”.

“There is a certain amount of goodwill, especially in terms of how Cecilia is being treated,” he told Italian television. However, he added that the negotiations were “very delicate” and that he could not speculate on how long it would take for her release.

Ms Sala’s employer, podcast company Chora Media, announced her arrest on 27 December.

The company said it had initially remained silent for a week at the request of Ms Sala’s family and the Italian Foreign Ministry, “hoping that this silence would lead to her speedy release. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet.”

Defense Minister Guido Crazzetto said the entire Italian government was “working tirelessly” to secure Ms Sala’s release.

“Negotiations with Iran will not be resolved by appealing to Western public opinion … but by high-level political and diplomatic action,” he wrote on X.

Ms. Sala has been granted consular access and is in contact with her family by phone, Iran’s Ministry of Culture said.

One of Ms Sala’s colleagues at Chora Media said that in prison she was allowed a “help package” of panettone, chocolate, cigarettes and an eye mask so she could sleep despite the prison’s bright lights, which are never turned off.

Cecilia Salo’s popular daily podcast covers a different angle on the history of current events in each episode.

The latter was published a day before her arrest and was dedicated to Zeynab Mousavi, a stand-up comedian who was detained by Iranian authorities and placed in solitary confinement.