The Iranian embassy in Spain announced on Sunday that a Spanish tourist detained in Iran for more than a year has been released.
Santiago Sánchez Colledor entered Iran in October 2022 with plans to walk from Spain to the Qatar World Cup in November and December 2022.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is pleased to announce the release of Santiago Sánchez Cogedor, the only Spaniard detained in Iran,” the Iranian Embassy in Spain posted on X.
“His release was carried out in accordance with the law and in the context of friendly and historic relations between the two countries,” the embassy added.
Kogedor’s family lost contact with him in October 2022. His last message chronicling his travels was posted on Instagram on October 1, when he wrote that he was in a village in northern Iraq and heading to the Iranian border.
A voicemail to his parents later broadcast by a television station said he was in Tehran en route to Bandar Abbas port in the Strait of Hormuz, where he was scheduled to board a boat to Qatar.
A few days later, his parents learned of his arrest through Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his mother, Celia Colledor, told AFP in late October.
Cogedor was believed to be the last Spaniard detained in Iran.
He was detained as Iran faces nationwide protests over the death of a young Iranian woman who was detained on suspicion of violating a law requiring women to cover their heads.
Mahsa Amini became a symbol of protest, and demonstrators organized themselves under the banner of “Women, Life, Freedom.”
Tehran has accused the United States of inciting the protests and announced in September 2022 that it would detain nine foreign nationals from several European countries, including France, Italy and Poland, on suspicion of being linked to the protests. .
Western countries have accused Iran of detaining foreign nationals as bargaining chips for sanctions relief.
AFP contributed to this report.
Updated: December 31, 2023, 6:09 p.m.