Jailing Italian journalist ‘latest example’ of ‘brutal, cruel’ Iranian regime

"The Iranian regime arrested Italian journalist Cecilia Sala on Dec. 19, the Italian Foreign Ministry, which is “working with the Iranian authorities to clarify Cecilia Sala’s legal situation and to verify the conditions of her detention,” stated on Friday. Paola Amadei, the Italian ambassador to Iran, “paid a consular visit to verify the conditions and status of Sala’s detention,” the Italian government stated. “The journalist’s family was informed of the outcome of the consular visit. Earlier, Sala was allowed to make two phone calls with her relatives,” it added. […] Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, wrote that “Tehran is trying to leverage more foreign hostages for concessions.” “Until there are real costs imposed for this behavior, Iran has every incentive to continue,” he wrote."