Iran arrests Italian journalist in case of apparent hostage diplomacy

Dubai: Tehran confirmed on Monday that an Italian journalist has been arrested on charges of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, state media reported.

The country’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which oversees media activity, said in a statement that Cecilia Sala travelled to Iran on December 13 on a journalist visa and was arrested six days later, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

The statement said Sala’s case is under investigation, adding that the Italian embassy in Tehran was informed after her arrest. The ministry said Sala’s arrest was carried out under relevant regulations and she was granted consular access. She has contacted her family by phone.

On Friday, Italy’s foreign ministry said the Iranian police detained Sala in the Iranian capital on December 19, while she was working with Iranian authorities “to clarify the legal situation of Sala and to verify the conditions of her detention”.

Sala is a reporter for the Italian daily Il Foglio, which said she is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison. Il Foglio said Sala was in Iran on a regular visa “to report on a country she knows and loves”.

Since the 1979 US Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations.

Italian media said Sala’s detention was believed to be aimed at securing the release of Mohammad Abedini-Najafabad, an Iranian-Swiss drone expert who was detained in Italy on December 16 on a US warrant to be extradited to the United States. Without attribution, Italian daily Corriere della Sera said Iran’s vice foreign minister had implied such a swap to the Italian ambassador to Iran, Paola Amadei.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani referred to the arrest of Abedini in an appearance with Italian broadcaster Rete4 about Sala’s case.