After five months imprisoned in Iran, Spanish national Ana Baneira is back home. The 24-year-old Galician woman, a member of a human rights NGO, was arrested at the beginning of November as part of the anti-regime protests following the assassination of Mahsa Amini.
Baneira is already on her way to Spain via Dubai, diplomatic sources told Europa Press. The news agency also said that, after her release, the activist had a telephone conversation with the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, whom she thanked for his efforts to secure her release. The diplomatic sources also added that Baneira is in good condition after these months.
Ana Baneira, Spanish citizen unlawfully detained in #Iran since Nov. 2022, was released yesterday. @jmalbares announced Ana’s release today after her plane had taken off from Iran.
— Hostage Aid Worldwide (@HostageAid) February 26, 2023
Santiago Sanchez, another Spanish citizen, remains incarcerated in Iran. https://t.co/hJVdiBLXMX pic.twitter.com/eplaixbP60
The Spanish minister expressed his "satisfaction" at her release. Albares revealed that he had spoken on several occasions with his Iranian counterpart, to whom he asked that Baneira be released "immediately because the charges against her were completely unfounded", reports EFE.
On the other hand, El Mundo indicates that the release has come about after "long and intense negotiations", especially on the part of the Spanish ambassador to Iran, Ángel Losada, who has led the negotiations with the Iranian regime and the Iranian judges. Losada "has had to work very hard", diplomats told the Spanish newspaper. The ambassador was in charge of picking up the activist after her release from prison.
Despite this good news, there is still another Spanish citizen imprisoned in Iran. Santiago Sánchez, who was on his way to Qatar to watch the World Cup, was arrested in October after visiting Amini's grave.
José Manuel Albares, ministro de Exteriores, sobre la liberación de Ana Baneira: "Lo importante es que ya está liberada y vuela camino a España"
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) February 26, 2023
La joven estaba encarcelada desde noviembre en el marco de las protestas por la muerte de Masha Aminihttps://t.co/1YKsdA9W20 pic.twitter.com/7pjKtMRX0w
Albares said he would continue to make representations until Sánchez is also released "from an unfounded detention". "Today is a very happy day and the happiness will be complete when Santiago is also released," the Spanish minister said.
Following the outbreak of protests in mid-September, Iranian authorities arrested several foreigners, most of them from France, Italy and Poland, further straining relations between Iran and the West. However, foreign nationals and dual nationals were already held in Iranian prisons before the protests.
“We won’t live under tyranny!” in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province.
— IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) February 19, 2023
“Sunday Protests” are being organized by state pensioners nationwide to demand a raise to match crushing runaway inflation. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/UongUUZpVg
In this regard, Iranian judicial authorities recently sentenced Iranian-German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd to death on terrorism-related charges. Sharmahd was arrested in 2020 and convicted of "corruption on earth", a charge on which several of those arrested during the current protests have been charged.
TEHRAN: Protests in #Iran’s capital tonight chanting ‘Freedom, Freedom, Freedom’, 5 months after killing of Mahsa Amini. Live bullets were heard in number of videos:
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) February 17, 2023
pic.twitter.com/kVuM3xEhlj
Since the demonstrations began, at least 488 people, including 64 children and 39 women, have been killed by Iranian security forces. At least 107 protesters are at risk of execution, death penalty charges or sentences. So far, the regime has already hanged four men for their involvement in the protests. In addition, at least 55 people have been executed in the first 26 days of 2023, according to Iran Human Rights.
