Hostage Diplomacy: Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Reveals Harrowing Details of Detention in Iran

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Iranian prisons, spoke in a television interview in Italy about the details of her interrogation sessions, revealing that she was sometimes interrogated for up to 10 consecutive hours.

In the interview, Sala stated that during interrogations, her head would be covered, and she was forced to face the wall. She added, “During one of the sessions, I lost consciousness, and they gave me a pill to calm me down. Sometimes, they tried to pacify me with rewards like dates or cigarettes, while at other times, they tried to break me by sharing bad news.”

According to this former detainee, interrogators used “psychological techniques” to “crush her.” Sala was released after spending 20 days in Iranian prisons. Four days later, Carlo Nordio, Italy’s Minister of Justice, ordered the immediate release of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian national detained in Italy.

Abedini, 38, was arrested on December 16, 2024, at Milan Airport at the request of the United States, accused of military collaboration with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He was set to be extradited to the U.S. following legal procedures.

Iran International previously reported exclusively on October 6, 2024, that Iran linked Sala’s release to Abedini’s freedom. Abedini is accused of transferring drone technology to Iran, which was allegedly used in a deadly attack by Iranian regime forces on U.S. soldiers stationed near the Jordan-Syria border in February 2024.

Losing Sense of Time in Solitary Confinement

Sala also described her time in Evin Prison during the interview, where she was held in a small solitary cell with no bedding and was subjected to constant white lighting.

“In these conditions, it becomes very difficult to sleep, and your mind loses all sense of time,” she said. Sala requested an English translation of the Quran on her first night in Evin Prison, but her request was denied. “In such circumstances, to pass the time, I started counting my fingers, reading the labels on bread packaging, and repeating multiplication tables,” she said.

She added, “Solitude doesn’t just mean being alone in a cell. It means having nothing to distract you. You are always alone, even when you’re not. Even during interrogations, your face is covered, and you’re forced to face the wall. Even the guards’ faces are covered.”

Iran’s Pattern of Detaining Foreign Nationals

It is worth noting that in recent years, Iran has detained dozens of foreign or dual nationals, often accusing them of espionage or security-related crimes.

Human rights activists describe Iran’s detention of Western nationals as a form of “state hostage-taking,” alleging that Tehran uses this tactic to pressure Western countries for concessions.

Hearing Painful Sounds from Other Cells

Sala recounted that during her time in Evin Prison, she often heard distressing sounds from other cells: “There was a girl who would jump inside her small cell and then slam her head hard against the door. The sounds coming from the corridor were often painful—sometimes crying, sometimes vomiting, and sometimes attempts at self-harm.”

During her detention, Sala was particularly concerned about the possibility of Donald Trump returning to power in the U.S., which could have complicated her case.

“I knew the countdown to Trump’s inauguration had begun, and that terrified me,” Sala said. “If Trump had publicly announced his intention to retaliate against some Iranians, my situation would have become extremely difficult.”

On January 6, the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, which is close to the Italian government, reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had secured Trump’s agreement to “suspend” Abedini’s extradition to the U.S. during her recent meeting with him.

Prime Minister Meloni met Trump on January 4 at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Iran’s History of Forced Prisoner Swaps

This is not the first time Iran has pressured Western countries into prisoner exchanges through its hostage-taking tactics.

During a prisoner exchange between Tehran and Stockholm, Swedish citizens Johan Flodros and Saeed Azizi were allowed to leave Iran and return to Sweden on June 15, 2024, in exchange for the release of Hamid Nouri.

Nouri, a former prosecutor in Gohardasht Prison, was arrested in October 2019 in Sweden for his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and his appeal was rejected by Sweden’s Supreme Court on March 6, 2024.

Flodros, speaking to Politico on October 25, 2024, about his time in Evin Prison, confirmed that he was a victim of Iran’s hostage-taking policy.