MILAN (Reuters) – The case of the Italian journalist arrested by Iran is “complicated”, but Rome hopes that Cecilia Sala, 29, will return home soon, the Italian Foreign Minister said on Saturday.
Sala works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media. She was arrested in Tehran on December 19, but her arrest only became public on Friday.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he hoped the matter could be resolved quickly, but added: “It’s not up to us.”
“We are trying to resolve an issue that is complicated,” the minister told the Ansa news agency.
Tajani said Sala is being kept in a single cell, in decent conditions, and that Italy will continue to monitor the situation.
“She appears to be being treated in a way that is respectful of personal dignity,” he said. “So far, we have had no negative feedback.”
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Tajani said the reason for Sala’s arrest was still unclear, but said he hoped the journalist’s lawyer would visit her soon and bring more information.
There has been no official public confirmation of the arrest from Iran, and Tajani declined to say whether it could be linked to the arrest of an Iranian in Italy this month at the request of the US.
Sala, who is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, left Italy for Iran on December 12 with a valid journalist visa, Chora Media reported on Friday. She should have returned to Rome on December 20th.
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Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she is closely following Sala’s case with the aim of bringing her home as quickly as possible, calling on the media to treat the issue with the “necessary caution”.
