Cecilia Sala
{{Short description|Italian journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cecilia Sala
| image = Cecilia Sala in 2023.png
| caption = Sala in 2023
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|07|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = Rome, Italy
| education = {{ubl
}}
| occupation = {{cslist
| author
}}
| years_active = 2015–present
| employer = Il Foglio (2019–present)
}}
Cecilia Sala ({{IPA|it|tʃeˈtʃiːlja ˈsaːla|lang}}; born 26 July 1995) is an Italian journalist, specialized in political and war journalism, both as author and war correspondent.
Biography
Sala was born on 26 July 1995 in Rome.{{Cite web |language=it |title=Cecilia Sala in redazione al 'Foglio' |date=1 April 2022 |website=Prima Online |url=https://www.primaonline.it/2022/04/01/349020/cecilia-sala-in-redazione-al-foglio/ |access-date=29 December 2024}} Her father is Renato Sala, a JP Morgan's senior advisor since 2004 and an independent director of the Italian bank Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena since 2023;{{Cite web |language=en |title=Renato Sala |website=Banca MPS |quote=Independent Director pursuant to the combined provisions of the By-Laws, Ministerial Decree 169/2020, Italian Legislative Decree 58/1998 (Consolidated Law on Finance) and the Corporate Governance Code |url=https://www.gruppomps.it/en/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/renato-sala.html |archive-date=1 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101222940/https://www.gruppomps.it/en/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/renato-sala.html |url-status=live |access-date=3 January 2025}} her mother is Elisabetta Vernoni, a manager and environmental activist.{{Cite web |date=3 January 2025 |title=Chi è Elisabetta Vernoni, la madre di Cecilia Sala: "Faccio il soldato, come lei" |url=https://www.quotidiano.net/cronaca/elisabetta-vernoni-madre-cecilia-sala-w2jc3deg |access-date=4 January 2025 |website=Quotidiano Nazionale |language=it}}
She graduated from the Liceo scientifico statale Camillo Cavour in Rome. From 2014 to 2018, she attended the bachelor's program in economics at the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan, without completing the degree,{{YouTube|Urxa9JuKrgo|time=451s|Tintoria #129 Cecilia Sala (con Stefano Rapone)}} as she moved back to Rome for work reasons and enrolled at La Sapienza University.{{cite web |language=it |title=CV – Cecilia Sala (nov '22) |date=November 2022 |publication-date=2023 |publisher=University of Bologna |format=PDF |url=https://www.unibo.it/it/ateneo/amministrazione-trasparente/consulenti-e-collaboratori/tabella-incarichi-scaduti/2023?id=37808&format=cv |access-date=11 January 2025 }}
In 2015, she started working as a correspondent and reporter for Vice, then as a journalist for the La7 TV program {{ill|Servizio pubblico (TV show)|lt=Servizio pubblico|it|Servizio pubblico (programma televisivo)}} in 2016.{{Cite web |language=it |title=Un giornalismo in movimento, tra reportage all'estero e Polvere – con Cecilia Sala (S02 E05) |date=3 December 2020 |website=Giornalisti al Microfono |url=https://giornalistialmicrofono.it/cecilia-sala/ |access-date=29 December 2024 |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227164031/https://giornalistialmicrofono.it/cecilia-sala/ |url-status=live }} She later wrote for L'Espresso and Vanity Fair, among others, and she also worked for RAI, Fremantle Media and the La7 TV program {{ill|Otto e mezzo (TV show)|lt=Otto e mezzo|it|Otto e mezzo (programma televisivo)}}.{{cite web |title=Cecilia Sala |url=https://www.giffonifilmfestival.it/en/news-giffoni/item/4444-cecilia-sala.html |publisher=Giffoni Experience |access-date=28 December 2024 |archive-date=30 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241230115639/https://www.giffonifilmfestival.it/en/news-giffoni/item/4444-cecilia-sala.html |url-status=live }}
In 2019, she registered with the Italian Order of Journalists of Lazio,{{Cite web |title=Albo Unico dell'Ordine dei Giornalisti |url=https://www.odg.it/albo-unico |access-date=10 January 2025 |website=Ordine dei Giornalisti}}{{pn|date=January 2025}} officially becoming a {{ill|professional journalist|it|giornalista professionista}} per Italian law.{{cite web |author1=National Council of the Order of Journalists |title=Law No. 69 of February 3, 1963 Regulation of the Journalistic Profession |url=https://www.odg.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Aspiranti-pubblicisti_raccolta-normativa.pdf |access-date=11 January 2025 |quote=CHAPTER III ON THE PRACTICE OF THE JOURNALISTIC PROFESSION Article 45. Practice of the profession: No one may assume the title or practice the profession of journalist unless they are registered in the list of professionals or that of publicists in the register established by the competent Regional or Interregional Order. Violation of the provision in the first sentence is punishable under Articles 348 and 498 of the Penal Code, unless the act constitutes a more serious offense (3). (3) The Constitutional Court, with its judgment of March 21–23, 1968, no. 11 (published in the Official Gazette, First Special Series, March 30, 1968, no. 84), declared "the constitutional illegitimacy of Article 45 of Law no. 69 of February 3, 1963, concerning the regulation of the journalistic profession, limited to its applicability to foreigners who are prevented in their home country from effectively exercising the democratic freedoms guaranteed by the Italian Constitution."}}
Since 2019, Sala works for Il Foglio; she's also author for the Huffington Post, Mondadori, and the podcast company Chora Media.
Working for Il Foglio, she reported as foreign correspondent from Venezuela and Chile, among others, as well as war correspondent from Afghanistan (2021 Taliban offensive) and Ukraine (Russo-Ukrainian War). She also reported from Iran, both before and during the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict.{{Cite web |language=it |title=Chi è Cecilia Sala, genitori, compagno, anni, carriera e libri della giornalista arrestata in Iran mentre girava il podcast Stories |date=27 December 2024 |website=Il Giornale d'Italia |url=https://www.ilgiornaleditalia.it/news/cronaca/672244/chi-e-cecilia-sala-genitori-compagno-anni-carriera-giornalista-iran.html |access-date=29 December 2024 |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227143826/https://www.ilgiornaleditalia.it/news/cronaca/672244/chi-e-cecilia-sala-genitori-compagno-anni-carriera-giornalista-iran.html |url-status=live }}
Prisoner exchange between Italy and Iran
On 19 December 2024, while in Iran on a journalist visa, she was arrested in Tehran and put in solitary confinement in Evin Prison.{{Cite news |last=Bubola |first=Emma |date=2025-01-18 |title=Italian Reporter's Ordeal in Iranian Prison: 'I Was Trapped in a Game' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/world/middleeast/cecilia-sala-italy-iran-revolutionary-guards.html |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Bubola |first=Emma |date=27 December 2024 |title=Italian Journalist Is Detained While Reporting in Iran |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/world/middleeast/cecilia-sala-italian-journalist-arrested-iran.html |access-date=3 January 2025 |work=The New York Times}} This became known only on 27 December.{{Cite news |last=Tondo |first=Lorenzo |date=27 December 2024 |title=Italian journalist arrested and held in solitary confinement in Iran |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/27/italian-journalist-arrested-held-solitary-confinement-iran-cecilia-sala |access-date=28 December 2024 |work=The Guardian}} On 30 December, Iran's Ministry of Culture finally confirmed that they had arrested her for {{qi|violating the laws of the Islamic Republic}}.{{Cite web |date=30 December 2024 |title=Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/12/30/iran-confirms-arrest-of-italian-journalist-cecilia-sala |access-date=30 December 2024 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en}}
Her arrest came three days after Italy arrested Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi at Milan Malpensa Airport at the request of the United States, which accused him, together with an accomplice arrested in the country, of conspiring to circumvent embargoes and supplying sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran.{{Cite web |title=Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, chiesti arresti domiciliari per iraniano fermato a Malpensa |trans-title=Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, house arrest requested for Iranian stopped at Malpensa airport |url=https://tg24.sky.it/mondo/2024/12/30/mohammad-abedini-najafabadi-domiciliari |website=Sky Italia|date=30 December 2024 }}{{Cite web |last=Raymond |first=Nate |date=27 December 2024 |editor-last=Nickel |editor-first=Rod |title=Engineer pleads not guilty in US case over deadly Iran-linked drone strike |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/engineer-pleads-not-guilty-us-case-over-deadly-iran-linked-drone-strike-2024-12-27/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250105195011/https://www.reuters.com/world/engineer-pleads-not-guilty-us-case-over-deadly-iran-linked-drone-strike-2024-12-27/ |archive-date=5 January 2025 |access-date=5 January 2025 |website=Reuters |place=Boston}}{{Cite web |last=Office of Public Affairs |date=16 December 2024 |title=Founder of Iranian Company Arrested for Providing Material Support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and for Scheme to Procure Sensitive U.S. Technology for Use in IRGC Military Drones, One of Which Killed Three U.S. Servicemembers |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-iranian-company-arrested-providing-material-support-islamic-revolutionary-guard |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241230163007/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-iranian-company-arrested-providing-material-support-islamic-revolutionary-guard |archive-date=30 December 2024 |access-date=30 December 2024 |website=justice.gov |publisher=United States Department of Justice}} Abedini is also accused of giving material support to Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States—allegedly contributing to a drone attack on a US military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers{{Cite news |date=2 January 2025 |title=Italy-Iran diplomatic tangle escalates over detained citizens as US seeks man over drone attack |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/02/italy-iran-journalist-arrest-ambassador/9ec8fcbe-c90e-11ef-a9b8-74e0b395057f_story.html |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250103002329/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/02/italy-iran-journalist-arrest-ambassador/9ec8fcbe-c90e-11ef-a9b8-74e0b395057f_story.html |archive-date=3 January 2025 |access-date=2 January 2025 |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{Cite web |last1=Winfield |first1=Nicole |last2=Karimi |first2=Nasser |date=3 January 2025 |title=Iran warns Italy that bilateral ties at risk if it bows to 'hostile' US demands over drone suspect |url=https://apnews.com/article/italy-iran-journalist-engineer-14bb597523cbe206c8a75925da9eb063 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250105194933/https://apnews.com/article/italy-iran-journalist-engineer-14bb597523cbe206c8a75925da9eb063 |archive-date=5 January 2025 |access-date=5 January 2025 |website=Associated Press |place=Tehran, Iran}} and injured 47 others.
On 3 January 2025, Iran reportedly asked for a prisoner swap.{{Cite news |last=Alavi |first=Shahed |date=3 January 2025 |title=Iran tells Italy it seeks prisoner swap for jailed Italian journalist |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202501027494 |publisher=Iran International}} On 8 January 2025, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Sala had been released by Iranian authorities and had left the country,{{Cite news |date=8 January 2025 |title=Italian journalist Cecilia Sala freed from detention in Iran, Italian PM's office says |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/08/europe/cecilia-sala-freed-iran-italy-intl/index.html |publisher=CNN}}{{Cite news |last=Bubola |first=Emma |date=2025-01-08 |title=Italian Journalist Released by Iran |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/world/europe/italy-iran-cecilia-sala-journalist-released.html |access-date=2025-01-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} later landing at Rome Ciampino Airport in the afternoon of the same day.{{Cite news |last=Giuffrida |first=Angela |date=8 January 2025 |title=Italian journalist Cecilia Sala returns home after release from prison in Iran |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/08/italian-journalist-cecilia-sala-freed-from-detention-in-iran |access-date=9 January 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Meloni cited a triangulation between US, Italy, and Iran helped for her to be released, explicitly denying the alleged involvement of Elon Musk,{{Cite web |date=9 January 2025 |title=Italian PM says unaware of any Musk role in journalist's release from Iran |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202501098139 |access-date=12 January 2025}}{{Cite news |date=9 January 2025 |title='Triangulation' with US, Iran on Sala says Meloni |url=https://ansabrasil.com.br/english/news/2025/01/09/triangulation-with-us-iran-on-sala-says-meloni_c33baa25-8f1d-4522-a12c-06b3df58c3d8.html |access-date=12 January 2025 |work=Ansa.it |series=TopNews}} also denied by Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.{{Cite news |date=16 January 2025 |lang=it |title=L'Iran, Musk non ha un ruolo nel rilascio di Cecilia Sala |url=https://www.lastampa.it/esteri/2025/01/16/news/cecilia_sala_elon_musk_iran-14941928/ |access-date=21 January 2025 }} Contacted by Sala's boyfriend through Andrea Stroppa,{{Cite news |last=Chowdhury |first=Shamim |date=20 January 2025 |title=Cecilia Sala, Boyfriend's Contact with Musk 'Fundamental' to Iran Release |work=Newsweek |url=https://www.newsweek.com/cecilia-sala-boyfriend-contact-musk-fundamental-iran-release-2017844 |access-date=21 January 2025 }} Musk said he did not contact Iran but played only a small role and recommended US support.{{cite news |last=Seamons |first=Kate |title=Italian Journalist Freed From Iran Credits Elon Musk |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/italian-journalist-freed-from-iran-credits-elon-musk/ar-AA1xxzx2 |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=MSN}}
On 12 January, Abedini was released back to Iran.{{Cite web |last=Zampano |first=Giada |date=12 January 2025 |title=Italy's justice minister seeks to revoke the arrest of an Iranian based on a US warrant |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/italys-justice-minister-seeks-revoke-arrest-iranian-based-117599577 |access-date=12 January 2025 |website=ABC News}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{List of foreign nationals detained in Iran}}
{{Political prisoners in Iran}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sala, Cecilia}}
Category:21st-century Italian journalists
Category:21st-century Italian women journalists
Category:Bocconi University alumni
Category:Foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran
Category:Italian people imprisoned abroad
Category:Italian war correspondents
Category:Journalists from Rome