Ministry of Culture: Italian Journalist Arrested for 'Violation of Laws'

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran confirmed that Cecilia Sala, an Italian reporter who traveled to Tehran on a journalist visa, has been detained in Iran for the past 12 days. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in a statement on Monday, January 1, cited 'violation of the laws of the Islamic Republic' as the reason for her arrest but did not provide further details. The judiciary or other intelligence and military agencies in Iran, which typically handle the detention of foreign nationals, have remained silent regarding the arrest of the 29-year-old journalist. The Ministry of Culture stated that Ms. Sala's case 'is under investigation' and 'further details will be provided if deemed appropriate by the judiciary.' The statement confirmed that Ms. Sala was arrested on December 20, six days after her arrival in Iran. Following the news of Ms. Sala's arrest on January 1 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister, and other officials from Italy called for her immediate release. However, Antonio Tajani, the Italian Foreign Minister, stated that he could not assess when this citizen would return to the country as negotiations on this matter are 'very sensitive' and difficult. Italian officials have apparently rejected negotiating with the Islamic Republic of Iran for Ms. Sala's release but have urged their media to be cautious in reporting on the issue as a citizen's life is at risk. Italian media speculate that Cecilia Sala's arrest is an immediate response by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the arrest of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi in Italy on charges of circumventing U.S. sanctions. Mohammad Abedini, along with Mehdi-Mohammad Sadeghi, is accused of transferring sensitive technology from the U.S. to Iran, which was used in a drone that struck a U.S. base in Jordan, killing three American soldiers last year. The timing of Ms. Sala's arrest in Tehran came three days after the arrest of Mohammad Abedini in Italy. The Italian border police arrested Mohammad Abedini, who holds dual Iranian and Swiss citizenship, on December 17 after he arrived at Milan airport on a flight from Istanbul, Turkey. The U.S. considers Mr. Abedini one of the suppliers of drone parts for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and had issued an international arrest warrant for him. Italy is a staunch ally of the U.S., and Giorgia Meloni has a good relationship with Donald Trump, who is expected to return to the White House soon. Mr. Trump has strongly condemned exchanges between the Democratic U.S. government and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Meanwhile, the Italian Foreign Minister stated that Mohammad Abedini has requested his release through a lawyer in the country. The Biden administration's State Department condemned Ms. Sala's arrest in Iran on January 1, considering it a retaliatory action by Tehran. Previously, the Iranian Foreign Ministry had summoned the ambassadors of Switzerland and Italy to protest the arrest of Mohammad Abedini. Cecilia Sala, in a phone call with her family in Italy, urged them to 'hurry' to save her. Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent imprisoned lawyer in the Islamic Republic of Iran who is on leave from prison, called the arrest of the journalist from her country in Iran 'shameful' in an interview with Italian newspapers. Ms. Sotoudeh praised Ms. Sala's brave decision to travel to Iran to inform about the situation of the Iranian people. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also stated in recent days that the Islamic Republic's hostage-taking for extortion in its interests is an age-old method of the ruling regime in Iran. Over its 46 years of rule, the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken dozens of journalists and foreign citizens hostage, many of whom also held Iranian citizenship, and has negotiated with governments for their release.