A 41-year-old Spanish football fan who was walking to Qatar to watch the World Cup championships in November vanished in Iran, according to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The last time Santiago Sanchez’s pals heard from him was on October 1, when he shared a photo of himself holding a sign reading “entrance to Iran” at the Iraqi-Iranian border.
Sanchez was reportedly detained by Iranian authorities, according to some Spanish media, and his Madrid-based parents told Telesenko TV that this is the most likely scenario.
There is a 99% chance that he is in an Iranian prison, according to his mother Celia, but the (Spanish) embassy told my daughter that she couldn’t confirm this before seeing him there and requesting permission from the Iranian authorities.
“Sanchez is in Iran, according to the Spanish Foreign Ministry, which also said that its embassy there is actively looking for information about him so that it can offer consular support to him.
She added in a statement: “The embassy is in constant contact with the Iranian authorities since I learned of his disappearance.
Since the death of the Iranian-Kurdish young woman, Muhsa Amini, on September 16, while she was being detained by the Ethics Police in Tehran due to her wearing “wrong” clothing, Iran has been dealing with the largest protests in its religious leadership’s history.
Sanchez left Madrid last January, traveled across Europe and Turkey, and slept in a tent, hotels and homes before entering Iraq.
In Zakho, Iraqi Kurdistan, last month, he had told “Reuters” that he planned to see the Spanish national team and encourage them to win the 2022 World Cup.
Spanish football fan who vanished in Iran on his way to Qatar
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