Cecilia Sala’s arrest in Iran and the deafening silence, especially from usually fierce feminists, surrounding the case bring the complex relationship between individual freedom and major international geopolitical games back to the center of political and social debate. Two weeks after her detention, Italy faces a crucial challenge: demonstrating its ability to defend its citizens in an increasingly polarized global scenario, in which the Sala case is intertwined with another controversial affair, that of Iranian engineer Alireza Abedini, arrested in Milan at the request of the United States.
Cecilia Sala, a well-known Italian investigative journalist, we recall, was arrested in Iran on charges that are still unclear, but that “appear” to be related to her professional work in a context of high political tension. Sala has always been committed to reporting the truth from areas of conflict and crisis, giving voice to uncomfortable stories often ignored by the mainstream media. Her detention appears to be not only a violation of press freedom, but a piece of a larger mosaic in which Iran seeks to assert its weight against Western pressure.
In this context, Sala’s case is not isolated, but connects directly to the recent capture in Milan of Alireza Abedini, an Iranian engineer arrested at the request of the United States on charges of espionage and violating sanctions against Tehran. The timing of events suggests that Sala may have become a pawn, with Iran using his arrest to pressure Italy and, indirectly, the United States.
L’Italia nel mezzo: una difficile mediazione. Non facile, insomma.
Giorgia Meloni’s government finds itself handling an extremely delicate case that tests not only Italy’s international strength and credibility, but also its autonomy in its relations with the United States and Iran. On the one hand, Rome is called upon to live up to its Atlantic commitments by cooperating with Washington on security and intelligence issues; on the other, it must safeguard the rights and life of an Italian citizen detained in a hostile country.
The risk, however, is that Italy will find itself squeezed in a difficult situation, between two fronts. Premier Meloni’s meeting with Sala’s mother, as well as the institutional summits that have been taking place in recent days, testify to the government’s commitment, but they are not enough to dispel the impression of a weak country, subordinate to the interests of larger powers.
And then, there is the issue of human rights and dignity.
In parallel to the geopolitical dimension, the Sala case brings the issue of human rights back to the center of the debate. The Italian government has stressed the importance of ensuring treatment “respectful of human dignity” for the detained journalist, but in Iran, as elsewhere, individual dignity and rights often give way to the logic of political repression.
Freedom of the press, a cardinal principle of any democracy, thus becomes the real battleground. Sala’s arrest represents an attack not only on the person, but on an entire category of professionals who risk their lives every day to ensure transparency and information. If Italy fails to secure his release, but it is to be hoped that it will not happen, the message will be clear: no one is safe in a world where the power of certain political structures can silence anyone.
The role of the United States in this affair is both crucial and ambiguous. Abedini’s capture in Milan at American request confirms Washington’s influence on its allies, often without regard to local political consequences. Or at least to date that is the case. It is not hard to imagine that Iran sees in the Abedini case an opportunity to pressure the West, using Sala as a bargaining chip.
Meanwhile, on Jan. 3 came news of the Milan magistrate’s denial of house arrest for the aforementioned. It is a tug-of-war that puts the government’s possible negotiations (in fact) at risk.
Yet another coup by the judiciary?
That said, the paradox of this affair is clear: on the one hand, the United States promotes human rights and freedom of the press as universal values; on the other hand, its actions, such as Abedini’s arrest in Italy, can put at risk those who, like Sala, work to defend those very same values. Italy, trapped in this contradiction, must find a way to defend its interests without alienating either Washington or Tehran.
Cecilia’s freedom will depend not only on the firmness of our government, but on the ability to negotiate in a context where Italy risks being perceived as a weak link. Italy is not.
At stake is not only life and liberty but the very credibility of an Italy that aspires to be a protagonist and not a mere pawn in global power games.
Il valore della libertà
Cecilia Sala’s case is not just a news story, but a symbol of the struggle for rights, dignity and freedom in an increasingly complex world. Her release must be a top priority, not only for the Italian government, but for all those who believe in democratic values and justice.
Italy must show that it is up to the challenge, not only for Cecilia Sala, but for all citizens who expect their country to protect them, wherever they are. Sala’s freedom is our freedom. And we cannot afford to lose it. Also the freedom to inform, to communicate, to document what is happening in the world.
And in a few days the new American president will take the reins of government. Will Trump be able to reverse this course, starting with international relations, and build bridges such that these forms of repression by totalitarian and not at all democratic states, where the term law is nonexistent in their vocabulary, will be prevented again ?
The recent meeting in Mar a Lago between Premier Meloni and the president may be the answer.
The article Cecilia Sala, the arrest and the Abedini case comes from TheNewyorker.
