Iran arrests, detains Italian journalist Cecilia Sala
New York, December 28 2024—CPJ is deeply concerned by the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran.
Italy’s foreign ministry said Sala was arrested on December 19 and was being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, although news of her arrest was only made public on December 27.
“Iran has a long and ignominious history of detaining journalists — both local and foreign — for reporting the realities of life in the country. We urge authorities to release Cecilia Sala immediately,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
Iran — the world’s sixth-worst jailer of journalists in CPJ’s last annual prison census, with 17 imprisoned journalists as of December 1, 2023 — has not yet commented publicly on the arrest.