The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy disclosed on Friday that Tehran police authorities have detained Italian journalist Cecilia Sala since December 19. Under instructions from Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Italian diplomatic officials have been monitoring Sala’s detention in Evin prison while working with Iranian authorities to clarify her legal situation.

Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei conducted a consular visit Friday to check on Sala’s conditions and detention status, the Ministry reported. Sala, who works for the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, had previously been allowed phone contact with her relatives, who had been informed of the visit’s findings. The Ministry has requested media discretion while diplomatic efforts continue.

Il Foglio reported that when she was detained, Sala was conducting authorized journalistic work in Iran with a regular visa. The newspaper explained they delayed reporting on her arrest following diplomatic guidance to avoid compromising release efforts.

Sala’s detention occurs amid broader concerns about press freedom in Iran. Since the widespread protests following Mahsa Amini’s death in September 2022, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports that Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown on media freedom, arresting over 70 journalists, predominantly women. RSF ranks Iran as one of the world’s most restrictive environments for press freedom, placing it 176th out of 180 countries evaluated.

One such crackdown is the frequently closed, though nominally public Press Court hearings conducted by the Committee for the Supervision of the Press within Iran’s Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance which oversees media activities. The 2000 and 2009 amendments of 1986 Iran’s press law include online publications, allowing authorities to prosecute journalists for “endangering the Islamic Republic,” “offending the clergy” or “spreading false information,” according to RSF’s analysis.

Human Rights Watch’s 2024 World Report similarly accused the Iranian authorities of severely restricting freedoms of assembly and expression, with judicial authorities increasingly employing broad national security charges against protesters and journalists. The report notes that authorities routinely deny detainees access to legal counsel during initial investigation periods and use confessions obtained under duress as evidence in court.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller recently addressed Iran’s detention of foreign nationals, citing the case of Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, who received a 10-year sentence for alleged “collaboration with a hostile government.” Miller called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Iran.