A Spanish man who went missing after entering Iran while travelling on foot to Qatar for the World Cup has been arrested, a rights group said.
Santiago Sanchez is being held at a detention centre run by the Ministry of Intelligence in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network told The National.
He spoke briefly to two other inmates in neighbouring cells, who have since been released, and told them he was a Spanish citizen who had been arrested by security forces, the rights group said.
While KHRN did not have details of Mr Sanchez's arrest, rights group Hengaw alleged he was arrested in the Kurdish city of Saqqez, the home town of Mahsa Amini, whose death in the hands of Iran's morality police has led to the fiercest protests in decades.
Mr Sanchez was arrested three weeks ago after visiting Amini's grave, a source told Hengaw.
“We learnt this morning from the foreign ministry that there’s a 99 per cent chance he [has been] arrested,” his mother Celia Cogedor told AP on Wednesday.
His sister is due to meet officials at the Spanish foreign ministry in Madrid on Thursday to learn further details.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that the Spanish embassy in Tehran is in touch with Iranian authorities about Mr Sanchez.
The detention comes at a time when anti-regime protests — which began when Amini, 22, died on September 16 — are continuing across Iran.
At least 234 people have since been killed, including 29 children, according to the Oslo-based Iran Organisation for Human Rights.
Protests are expected to intensify on Wednesday, which marks 40 days since Amini's death and the end of the traditional mourning period in Iran.
Mr Sanchez, a former paratrooper, has not been heard from in three weeks, his family said on Monday.
He was last seen in Iraq after hiking through 15 countries on his way to the World Cup in Qatar, but his social media posts stopped on October 1, the day he entered Iran.
He is believed to have been headed for Marivan, in Iran's Kurdistan province, where a family had offered to host him, and then on to Tehran and the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
His family say he had previously visited Iran in 2019, when he cycled from Madrid to Saudi Arabia.
Several foreigners have been detained since the start of the protests, including two French citizens that Tehran has accused of spying.
Espionage is a common accusation thrown at dual and foreign citizens visiting the country. Iran has arrested visitors in droves since the collapse of the nuclear deal in an attempt to gain international leverage.
Many are held at Tehran's notorious Evin prison, which was the site of a deadly fire on October 15.
Sources from inside the prison, notorious for its gross human rights offences, said the fire was started by authorities' unlawful use of force against prisoners, with shooting recorded more than an hour before the fire allegedly began.
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Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
