- Spaniard Santiago Sánchez Colledor returned to his hometown in Madrid on Tuesday after spending 15 months in an Iranian prison.
- He was arrested in October 2022 while on a solo foot trip to the Men's Soccer World Cup in Qatar.
- His arrest came after visiting the grave of Mahsa Amini, a woman whose death in the custody of Iran's moral police sparked protests in the country.
A Spaniard who spent 15 months in an Iranian prison after visiting the grave of Mahsa Amini was released and returned to Madrid on Tuesday.
“I can't believe it. It's been very difficult, but I'm here. We have no idea how lucky we are to have been born in his country,” said Santiago Sánchez Colledor, at the airport after returning home. he told reporters. He was hugged by his family and friends upon arrival.
Sanchez Colledor was walking alone to the Men's Soccer World Cup in Qatar when he was arrested in Iran in October 2022. His arrest came after visiting the grave of Amini, a woman who died in the custody of Iran's morality police. Iran's Islamic dress code has sparked protests in the country.
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He remained in detention until the Iranian embassy in Spain announced his release on Sunday.
Spaniard Santiago Sánchez Colledor is welcomed by friends and family at Barajas Airport on the outskirts of Madrid on January 2, 2024. After visiting Masha Amini's grave, Sanchez Colledor returned home on Tuesday after spending 15 months in an Iranian prison. After being released. (AP Photo/Bernat Armang)
The 41-year-old had walked all the way from Spain with the goal of arriving in Qatar to cheer on the Spanish national team at soccer's biggest global event.
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Sánchez Colledor said he would not comment on politics, but read to reporters what he called a diploma given to him by a fellow Iranian prisoner, indicating that he had “passed the test of life.”
