A Spanish soccer fan who was arrested and imprisoned for 15 months in Iran has been released and returned home to Madrid on Tuesday.
The man, identified as Santiago Sanchez Cogedor, was arrested after he visited the tomb of Mahsa Amini. The latter is a woman whose passing while a prisoner of Iran's morality police for disobeying the nation's Islamic dress code sparked widespread protests.
Spaniard Goes Home After 15-Month Imprisonment in Iran
Before being arrested more than a year ago, Sanchez Cogedor was on a walking trek to Qatar's men's soccer World Cup. In October 2022, law enforcement officers then took him into custody.
Sanchez Cogedor remained detained until Iran's embassy to Spain announced his release on Sunday. The 41-year-old soccer fan was walking from Spain to reach Qatar to support his country's national team at soccer's biggest global event.
The soccer fan also said that he would not comment on political matters but read to reporters what he called a diploma given to him by his fellow prisoners in Iran. The document allegedly indicated that he had "passed the test of life," as per the Associated Press.
Following his release from prison in Iran, video footage of Sanchez Cogedor at Madrid's Barajas Airport on Tuesday showed his joyful reunion with his friends and family. The Iranian embassy in Spain first announced news of the Spaniard soccer fan's release via a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The embassy said it was pleased to report the release of the imprisoned individual, who it said was the only Spanish citizen jailed in Iran. The embassy added that Sanchez Cogedor's release is carried out within the framework of friendly and historical relations between the two nations and in compliance with relevant laws.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirmed on Monday that Sanchez Cogedor was on a flight traveling back to Spain. He posted on X, saying, "Today happiness is complete." He added that the Spanish soccer fan will finally be able to join his family and friends in his home country.
Being Detained in Iran
Albares also mentioned Ana Baneira, a Spanish citizen who was backpacking through Iran before she was arrested on a charge of espionage by Iranian authorities in November 2022 and held for four months before being released, according to the Washington Post.
Sanchez Cogedor was documenting his journey online by sharing stories about the people he had met. He also uploaded photographs and videos of the meals and places to sleep that he was offered on his way.
In his last post on Instagram, which was made on Oct. 1, he detailed that he had nearly arrived in Iran. He had to cross a mountain before getting to Iran, the following nation.
Celia Cogedor, the Spaniard soccer fan's mother, spoke of relief while waiting for her son's return to the country. She noted that the nightmare had ended at last, adding that the worst was the first few months of Sanchez Cogedor being imprisoned in Iran, according to Reuters.
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