Italy vows to work ‘tirelessly’ for release of journalist arrested in Iran

Italy said on Friday it was making every effort to bring home a journalist who has been under arrest in Iran for more than a week, as politicians of all stripes expressed their concern. The Italian foreign ministry said it was in contact with Iran to clarify Sala's legal situation and the conditions of her detention. Chora Media said Sala had left Rome for Iran on Dec. 12 with a valid journalist visa and had conducted several interviews and produced three episodes of her "Stories" podcast. Italy's ambassador to Iran visited Sala in prison on Friday and the journalist has also been in phone contact with her family, the Italian foreign ministry said. Chora said news of Sala's arrest was not immediately made public as her family and Italian authorities had hoped that keeping it quiet could help secure her swift release.