Cecilia Sala, the Italian journalist detained in Iran has been released

“Our compatriot was released by the Iranian authorities and is returning to Italy”announced the Italian government services in a press release published Wednesday January 8 late in the morning. Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained in Iran, was arrested in Tehran on December 19 for having “violated the laws” of the Islamic Republic. This liberation is the fruit “intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels”underlines the press release.

25 journalists still detained in Iran

Aged 29, the journalist works for Chora Media, a podcast site, as well as for the daily Il Foglio. The NGO Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) for its part expressed its “tremendous relief”. “Now the 25 journalists still held in Iranian prisons must also be released”she added in a brief press release.

The head of Italian diplomacy Antonio Tajani summoned the Iranian ambassador on January 2, with Rome demanding the “immediate release” of the journalist. Italy had also demanded for the detainee “treatment respectful of human dignity”, while according to the Italian press she was in solitary confinement, forced to sleep on the floor, and had been deprived of her glasses.

Iran, which detains several Western or binational nationals, is accused by their supporters and NGOs of using them as a bargaining chip in state-to-state negotiations. Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, a French couple imprisoned since 2022 during a tourist stay, are thus accused by the Iranian authorities of “espionage”, which their relatives “firmly refute”. A third Frenchman, named Olivier but whose last name has not been made public, has also been detained in Iran since 2022. Paris describes these prisoners as “state hostages”.