Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested on Dec. 19, just six days after arriving in Tehran where she had conducted a series of interviews for her podcast series.

Iran confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, state news agency IRNA said citing the Iranian Ministry of Culture.

Iran confirmed on Monday that it had arrested Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for "violating the law", state media reported, a move decried by Italy as "unacceptable". "Cecilia Sala, an Italian citizen,

Iran said Monday that Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist held in Evin Prison since December 19 possibly in retaliation for the Milan arrest three days earlier of a Swiss-Iranian businessman accused of arms trafficking by the US,

Italian media said Cecilia Sala’s detention was believed to be aimed at securing the release of an Iranian-Swiss expert in drones who was detained in Italy.

The case of an Italian journalist being held in Iran is "complicated", but Rome hopes to bring 29-year-old Cecilia Sala home quickly, Italy's foreign minister said on Saturday.

Iran on Monday officially confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, State media reported. Rome-born Sala, 29, Il Foglio's freelance correspondent and a podcaster for Chioa News, was reportedly arrested and taken to Tehran's notorious Evin Prison on December 19,