TEHRAN - Iran's Ministry of Culture confirmed Monday the detention of an Italian journalist on the charge of "violating" the country's laws.

In a statement published on its website, the ministry said the Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who traveled to Iran on Dec 13 with a press visa, was arrested on Dec 19 for "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

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The case is in the investigative process, the statement said. The Italian embassy in Tehran has been informed of the arrest and that Sala has been provided with consular access and has contacted her family through phone calls, it added.

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On Friday, the Italian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement on its official website Sala's arrest by Iranian authorities.

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"On the instructions of Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, the Italian embassy and consulate in Tehran have been following the case with the utmost attention since the very beginning," it said, noting that the ministry had been working with Tehran to "clarify Sala's legal situation and verify the conditions of her detention."

Sala, 29, works for Italian daily newspaper Il Foglio and podcast company Chora Media.