Foreign Affairs Iran announces the release of the Spanish Santiago Sánchez Cogedor, imprisoned since 2022 in that country

Iran has announced the release of the Spaniard Santiago Sánchez Cogedor, who was arrested and imprisoned in that country in October 2022 after visiting the grave of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian Embassy in Spain has reported.

The Iranian Embassy has indicated in a message on the social network

As EL MUNDO has learned, the Spanish ambassador in Tehran is heading by car to pick up the Spaniard from the prison where he is imprisoned.

Sánchez Cogedor, 41, was arrested in October 2022 when he was traveling on foot to Qatar for the Soccer World Cup that was held in that country. He was the only Spaniard imprisoned in Iran.

On October 2 of last year, the Spaniard was arrested in the Kurdish city of Saqqez after visiting and photographing the grave of Mahsa Amini, whose death due to wearing the veil incorrectly caused strong protests in the country itself and much of the world.

In a conversation with Efe, Celia Cogedor, mother of the freed Spaniard, was “overwhelmed” by the news, which she learned this afternoon through a translator from the Iranian Embassy.

At the moment, as he explained, they do not have more information about his release, which could occur in about 24 hours, nor do they know when he will be able to return to Spain.

The family is contacting Spanish diplomats in Iran to find out what steps to take next once the release occurs.

The Spaniard was arrested and transferred to prison, where he has been for more than 14 months. There he began a hunger strike to demand better treatment in prison and his release.

According to what his mother told Efe a few months ago, in prison he organized soccer, volleyball and chess tournaments.

“Pambu (as Santiago is called by his family and friends) is now calmer and has taken his stay in the Iranian prison as a volunteer, because there are many people there that he can help,” his mother declared last month October.

Sánchez Cogedor’s family even turned to Real Madrid to have the football club mediate with Iran to obtain his release, although it did not respond to the request for help.

Since he was arrested, Spanish diplomacy has maintained negotiations with Iran for his release. In fact, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, demanded his release at the beginning of October during an event in Madrid on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.