The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has assured that Spanish diplomacy is working «intensely» to resolve «as soon as possible» the situation of the two Spanish citizens detained in Iran in the framework of the protests for the young Mahsa Amini.
In statements from Brussels, the Foreign Minister has assured that he has given direct instructions to the Spanish ambassador in Tehran to deal «as a priority» with the situation and he has already held meetings at different levels of the Iranian Ministry of the Interior to deal with the case.
Albares did not provide further details on the situation of the two Spaniards and has limited himself to confirming that they are at the disposal of the Iranian authorities and that the Foreign Ministry is working «intensely» so that the case is resolved «as soon as possible».
The Spaniards detained by the Iranian authorities are Santiago Sanchez Cogedor, who was arrested when he was on his way on foot to Qatar to watch the World Cup after visiting the tomb of the young Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody, and Ana Baneira, whose arrest was unveiled Wednesday by a Kurdish NGO and whose circumstances are unknown at the moment.
Both arrests have come amid protests that have been ongoing since Amini’s death in late September while in custody after she was detained for allegedly wearing the Islamic veil incorrectly. Dozens of people have been killed during the crackdown on the protests by Iranian authorities, who have also arrested several foreigners, including the two Spaniards.
