Italian journalist Cecilia Sala is currently held in Evin Prison, Tehran, where the conditions of her detention are reported to be awful. She was arrested a couple of weeks ago on vague accusations, stating that she «violated the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran». Italy is now pressing Iran for her immediate release, while a US state department spokesperson said Sala’s detention was allegedly a reprisal for the arrest of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi. He is a Swiss-Iranian businessman and alleged arms trafficker with ties to the Iranian regime, on a US warrant at Milan’s Malpensa airport on 16 December.
Cecilia Sala, italian journalist detained in Tehran: what happened and who is she?
Cecilia Sala detention conditions
The photographs depicting the conditions of detention at the infamous Evin Prison, where Cecilia Sala is being held, are alarming. A blanket used as a bed on the concrete floor, 30 minutes of fresh air in a small courtyard.
In Evin Prison have been detained dissidents, journalists, academics, students, activists, and members of ethnic and religious minorities. Political prisoners are reported to live in overcrowded cells, inadequate medical care, and the systematic use of torture. These direct and indirect testimonies have for years helped lift the veil on what happens in this penitentiary, a symbol of repression in Tehran, which is estimated to house 15,000 inmates.
Ending up in Evin Prison it's quite simple as well. It's enough to participate in a peaceful demonstration, such as those for women’s rights following the death of young Mahsa Amini in 2022 at the hands of the police.
Ilaria Salis words
Eurodeputy and activist Ilaria Salis also spoke out about her situation, having herself faced detention in Budapest. She wrote on social media: «In my case, the support of so many people was crucial, regardless of whether they shared my political positions - she adds - This is the right way to act: to unite to fight injustice and defend human dignity. This solidarity does not diminish - indeed, it strengthens - the one we owe to all journalists and people who are deprived of freedom, who risk, and sometimes pay with their lives, to tell the truth. From Palestine to Iran, from Syria to Turkey, to Ukraine and Russia. Finally, it is essential to remember that Cecilia's story is part of a broader context, that of the extraordinary social movement 'Woman, Life, Freedom', which continues to fight with courage, undaunted despite the fierce repression. FreeCecilia, free them all».