Spanish Citizen Who Was Imprisoned for 15 Months After Visiting 'Mahsa's Grave' Returns to Spain

A Spanish football fan who had been detained by the Iranian authorities for over a year on charges of espionage returned to Spain on Tuesday. Santiago Sánchez Cogedor, who was 41 years old at the time of his disappearance, arrived at Madrid airport around 1 PM. According to Reuters, a large crowd was waiting for him. He had traveled on foot from Europe to attend the World Cup in Qatar, but was arrested after entering Iran last year amid protests following the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police. The Associated Press reports that he was detained after visiting Mahsa Amini's grave and spent 15 months in prison in Iran. Upon his emotional reunion with family and friends at the airport, Sánchez expressed to reporters, 'It was very long, very hard, but I am here in my country.' He added, 'We do not know how lucky we are to have been born in this country.' He last sent a photo of himself at the Iran-Iraq border to friends with the caption: 'Entering Iran.' The Spanish Foreign Minister wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, 'Today, joy is complete. Finally, Santiago will soon be reunited with his family and friends in Spain.' Sánchez's mother, Celia Cogedor, who was waiting at the airport for his arrival, told reporters, 'This nightmare is finally over.' She thanked the Spanish authorities, especially the ambassador in Iran, stating that without their help, her son would not have been able to leave Iran for years. She remarked, 'The worst months were the first months (after his disappearance), as no one knew if he was alive or dead.' The Iranian embassy in Spain announced on Sunday that the Islamic Republic had released the detained Spanish citizen. Governments and NGOs accuse the Islamic Republic of using the detention of foreign and dual citizens as a bargaining tool in foreign relations.