Italy Summons Iranian Ambassador in Rome

The Italian Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador in Rome and demanded the release of Cecilia Sala, a journalist from Italy who was arrested by Iranian security forces in Tehran about two weeks ago. Antonio Tajani, Italy's Foreign Minister, announced on Thursday, January 3, on the social media platform 'X' that he had issued the order to summon the Iranian ambassador. This senior Italian official stated, 'I have instructed the Secretary-General of the Ministry to summon the Iranian ambassador in Rome,' and added, 'The government has been tirelessly working to bring Cecilia Sala home since the day of her arrest, and we demand that all her rights be respected.' Antonio Tajani emphasized, 'We will not leave Cecilia and her family alone until she is freed.' Cecilia Sala, a 29-year-old Italian citizen collaborating with the newspaper 'Il Folibo' and 'Chura Media,' was arrested by the Iranian intelligence forces on December 20. According to reports, she was transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran after her arrest. Ms. Sala had officially traveled to Iran with a journalist visa and had published reports on recent developments in Iran following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. Some media outlets, citing a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department, reported that the arrest of this Italian journalist by the Islamic Republic was in retaliation for the arrest of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, a Swiss-Iranian citizen, in Italy. Previously, international organizations supporting press freedom had called for the immediate release of Cecilia Sala, the detained Italian journalist.