January 08, 2025 - Iran, Tehran

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom welcome the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala from unjust detention in Iran.

Sala, who was held in Evin Prison—a facility infamous for torture and repression—was detained despite holding a valid journalist visa. For weeks, she was reportedly kept in solitary confinement, enduring conditions designed to intimidate.  Our civilian and diplomatic sources informed CFWIJ that Sala was kept in the same unit where British-Iranian journalist Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe spent much of her six years of wrongful detention. Other foreign citizens and activists, such as Anoosheh Ashoori and Reza Khandan, were also imprisoned in the same facility, raising CFWIJ’s concerns about the circumstances and potential length of her detention.

As we reported earlier, we learnt from sources that this arrest may have been deliberate and one source told us they believed Iran might ask for a swap deal in return.  

Sala’s case became emblematic of the use of "hostage diplomacy," where journalists are detained as bargaining chips in geopolitical disputes.  Iran’s actions violate international norms and this detention has sent a chilling message to journalists for the last few weeks.

We are informed by sources and intermediaries in our advocacy efforts that today’s release was made possible through sustained international pressure. These efforts were led by officials, back channel correspondence, and public pressure by press freedom groups including the CFWIJ in addition to the diplomatic negotiations led by the Italian administration.

“We are glad that Cecilia Sala’s detention was taken seriously by the Italian government, including at the highest level, we were informed by sources that Prime Minister Georgia Meloni herself prioritized the efforts for release and negotiations with Iran,” said our founding director Kiran Nazish. “These efforts to prioritize journalist safety should set the precedent for all governments to take press freedom and safety of women journalists seriously. We are grateful to the Italian leaders and PM Meloni for making this happen.”

Sala’s ordeal shows the grave dangers journalists, particularly women, face while working in authoritarian countries. As CFWIJ’s founding director Kiran Nazish highlighted in Ms. Magazine, Sala’s case reflects Iran's disturbing trend of targeting journalists as part of its broader strategy to suppress dissent. Ranked 176th in the 2024 Press Freedom Index, Iran remains the leading jailer of women journalists.

While we are relieved by Sala’s release, we urge the global community to take stronger actions against such violations. Journalists must not be silenced or exploited as pawns in geopolitical disputes.