Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison since 19th December 2024 and described appalling conditions to her family: “confined in a small cell without mattress, glasses, or any basic commodity, obliged to bear freezing temperatures and round-the-clock light”. So much for the “dignified treatment” promised by the Iranian authorities.
Evin Prison has served as a powerful symbol of state brutality, particularly towards women, since protests began after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. The arrest of Sala underlines the regime’s hostility towards journalists, with many of its detainees being tortured, sham-tried, and executed.
The Italian government has requested Sala’s immediate release on the basis of the violations of Iran’s constitutional prohibitions against torture and coercion. Sala’s plea–“Act quickly”–underscores the urgency, as her plight contrasts sharply with that of Iranian detainee Mohammad Abedini, held in Italy with access to humane conditions and due process.
Italian diplomacy is working intensively for the release of Sala, while her case turns a spotlight on abuses of human rights in Iran.
News Editor
Journalist and Newscaster
Leave a Reply