Cecilia Sala: Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist [Video]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates –

Iran confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

Sala, 29, who works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, according to the Italian foreign ministry.

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Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Saturday declined to say whether the case might be linked to the arrest of an Iranian in Italy this month at the request of the United States.

The case of the Italian journalist being held in Iran is “complicated,” but Rome hopes to bring Sala home quickly, Tajani said.

“Italian national Cecilia Sala traveled to Iran on Dec. 13 with a journalist visa and was detained on Dec. 19… for violating the laws of the Islamic …