Italian journalist Cecilia Sala "arrested" in Tehran. How Iran's Hostage Diplomacy Goes Unpunished
A Chilling Pattern of Hostage “Diplomacy”
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested and thrown into solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin Prison ten days ago, the world should have reacted with outrage and demand answers and her immediate release. Instead, the international response has been muted. Once again, the Islamic Republic of Iran exploits the weakness and complacency of the international community, using innocent lives as bargaining chips—and gets away with it.
A Chilling Pattern of Hostage “Diplomacy”
Sala’s arrest came just three days after the detention of IRGC operative Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi in Italy at the behest of the United States. Charged with conspiring to export advanced electronic components to Iran and providing material support to terrorism, Najafabadi’s arrest clearly triggered Tehran’s decision to “arrest” Sala. This is no coincidence, Iran’s regime, and now its proxies, operate with impunity, emboldened by a global community that has failed to take decisive action.
Olivier Vandecasteele (Belgium, 2022): A Belgian aid worker sentenced to 40 years in prison and used as leverage to secure the release of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat convicted of orchestrating a terror attack in France.
Johan Floderus (Sweden, 2023): A Swedish EU official detained to pressure Sweden to release Hamid Nouri, convicted of war crimes for his role in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (UK, 2016): A charity worker held for six years on baseless charges to pressure the UK over a decades-old debt, eventually released in 2022.
Ahmadreza Djalali (Sweden/Iran, 2016): An academic sentenced to death in retaliation against Sweden for prosecuting Iranian officials.
Xiyue Wang (US, 2016): A Princeton graduate student detained for three years and released in a prisoner exchange.
These aren’t isolated incidents but some of the evidence of a calculated policy.
Proxies Expand the Playbook
Iran’s malign influence extends far beyond its borders through groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, all of which have adopted Tehran’s hostage-taking strategy. Iran’s proxies mimic its playbook, creating a global network of terrorism.
Iran has perfected its strategy of hostage “diplomacy”, turning human lives into currency. These aren’t isolated incidents but a calculated policy. Tehran knows it can act with impunity because the international community, particularly the United Nations and western states, have failed to confront this growing threat.
Where Is the Outrage?
Iran’s blatant disregard for international law, human rights, and diplomatic norms should have triggered swift, coordinated action. Yet the response has been shamefully inadequate. The United Nations, whose very purpose is to uphold international peace and security, remains silent. Where are the emergency sessions? Where are the resolutions condemning Iran’s systematic use of innocent people as pawns?
The same global leaders who routinely denounce Israel are curiously absent when it comes to holding Iran accountable. Instead, they issue toothless statements while Tehran tightens its grip on hostages like Cecilia Sala.
A Broader Failure of Accountability
Iran’s hostage diplomacy is not an isolated tactic but part of a larger strategy to undermine the global order. From its nuclear ambitions to its support for terrorism and regional destabilization, the Islamic Republic has flouted international norms for decades. Yet the international community, particularly the UN, continues to treat Iran with kid gloves.
Why hasn’t the UN moved to formally investigate Iran’s use of hostages as state policy? Why hasn’t the Human Rights Council condemned these actions or appointed a special rapporteur to document these crimes? The answer is simple: political expediency. Holding Iran to account would require confronting uncomfortable truths, the UN is complicit in enabling Iran and many nations would rather preserve their economic and political ties to Tehran than defend human rights and international law.
A Moral Failure of Our Time
The arrest of Cecilia Sala is not just an affront to Italy or journalism; it is an indictment of the entire international system. By allowing Iran’s actions to go unchecked, the global community has emboldened a regime that thrives on cruelty and lawlessness. Every day that Sala and others remain in custody is a day that the UN and its member states fail in their most basic responsibilities.
The Holocaust taught the world the dangers of indifference to human suffering, yet here we are, once again the world is watching from the sidelines. The Islamic Republic’s crimes demand action; they demand justice.
