Sweden – Dagen, January 25, 2025
Imprisonments in Iran. For the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose work in similar cases has hardly been characterized by thoughtful strategies and diplomatic skill, this should lead to reflection, writes Lars Adaktusson.
It is a well-known and deeply disturbing fact that the Iranian dictatorship regime has made the imprisonment of innocent European citizens a systematic practice. For this reason, it appeared to be yet another case of state-controlled hostage-taking when Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested in Tehran just before Christmas and taken to the infamous Evin prison. With a valid journalist visa, she had arrived a few days earlier to do a report for the newspaper *Il Foglio*.
Without compromising confidentiality or discreet contacts, the Italian government in Rome chose to confirm Cecilia Sala’s detention after just a few days.
At the same time, the case was being handled at the highest political level, as evidenced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally flying across the Atlantic for a lightning visit to the incoming U.S. President, Donald Trump. The fact that the most pressing issue of the meeting was the Sala case was reported in both Italian and international media.
Simultaneously, Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, took action at the European level. Rapid initiatives were taken to arrange meetings and discussions with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, all of whom had experience with similar consular matters.
Despite the fact that each individual EU country is responsible for its own citizens, the Italian government decided to coordinate its actions with Brussels. The political strength of the EU’s common institutions and foreign service became a factor in contacts with the Iranian regime.
The public statements by both the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and leading representatives from several European countries demanding the release of the Italian journalist sent an important signal. For the rulers in Tehran, it was clear that the matter was not only a bilateral issue but could lead to complications with more countries in Europe.
While Cecilia Sala was still imprisoned, the French government made it clear, without diplomatic veils, that the Islamic Republic’s detainment of European citizens could never be tolerated.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot explicitly demanded the immediate release of three French citizens detained in Tehran under near-torture-like conditions. He added that “future relations and any potential lifting of sanctions will depend on their fate.”
The combined political pressure on Iran and the coordinated diplomatic efforts for Sala’s release show that even one of the world’s most brutal dictatorships can be influenced.
For the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose work in similar cases has hardly been marked by thoughtful strategies and diplomatic skill, this should lead to reflection.
Under the crystal chandeliers of the Royal Palace of the Crown Prince, special studies should now be conducted on the Italian Foreign Ministry’s engagement, decisiveness, and outstanding ability to involve both the detained person’s family and the political opposition in the process. The detention of 29-year-old Cecilia Sala was no coincidence.
