Ana Baneira, a Spaniard detained in Iran since the end of last year, was released on Saturday, the Spanish foreign minister announced on Sunday.
“
She was released yesterday but we didn't want to announce it publicly before her plane took off from Iran
,” José Manuel Albares told the press.
“
I was able to speak with her (…) she is fine
”, added the head of Spanish diplomacy, specifying that the young woman would join from Tehran her region of origin, Galicia (north-west from Spain), via Dubai and Geneva.
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Spanish diplomatic sources had announced in November the arrest of a Spanish national, without giving further details, but the NGO Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) had affirmed that it was this woman, aged 24 years old, and that she had been arrested "
a few days ago
.
The circumstances of his arrest have never been officially confirmed but it came as Iran was shaken by a protest movement since the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini.
Another Spaniard, Santiago Sanchez Cogedor, has been detained in Iran since October.
A football fan, he set out to walk to Qatar to attend the World Cup and was arrested shortly after entering Iran.
“
Today is a happy day but happiness will be total when Santiago is also liberated
,” insisted the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“
I will not stop insisting (with Tehran) and taking steps until Santiago is released.
It is an arrest that has no basis
,” he added.
