The Spaniard Santiago Sánchez Cogedor flies tonight to Spain after being released this Sunday in Iran, as confirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, on the social network X.
The man from Madrid was arrested and imprisoned by the Tehran authorities in October 2022 after visiting the grave of Mahsa Amini. And his release was also announced on Sunday by the Iranian Embassy in Spain, which placed the decision to release him “within the framework of the friendly and historical relations between both countries and in compliance with the laws.”
As his mother, Celia Cogedor, explained in statements to Efe, the young man has been released and transferred to the embassy, ??where he awaits the necessary procedures and the organization of flights to be able to return. Her mother was “overwhelmed” by the news, which she learned about through a translator from the Iranian Embassy who, minutes later, allowed her to have a telephone conversation with her daughter.
“Today the happiness is complete. After the return of Ana Baneira in February, Santiago will finally be able to reunite very soon with his family and friends in Spain,” wrote the minister, who thanks the efforts made to the Spanish embassy in Iran and to the Ministry itself.
The Spanish adventurer left Madrid last year with the aim of reaching Qatar, where the World Cup was held. His intention was to travel more than 6,000 kilometers in solidarity, but he did not reach his destination. After crossing the border with Iran, which was the last country he would cross, he detoured more than 300 kilometers to go to the tomb of Mahsa Amini.
There, in the Kurdish city of Saqqez, he was arrested after photographing the grave of the young woman whose death due to wearing the veil incorrectly caused strong protests in the country itself and much of the world.
At that time the country was embroiled in protests against the ayatollahs over Amini’s death. Sánchez’s relatives did not find out that he had been arrested until three weeks later.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to diplomatic sources, has spent several months carrying out very discreet efforts to get Sánchez to return to Spain.
The progress, as the same sources assure, was communicated promptly to the prisoner’s family. The contacts have been of a high level. The Foreign Minister himself, José Manuel Albares, has spoken several times in recent months with his Iranian counterpart until reaching the expected agreement.
Given the delay in the efforts, the man from Madrid decided to start a hunger strike on September 22 as a measure of pressure.
In 2019, Santiago Sánchez Cogedor went from Alcalá de Henares to Saudi Arabia by bicycle and was helping orphanages, hospitals and NGOs along the way.