Reza Baluchi says that he only wanted to spread love and understanding. The 30-year-old Iranian had been cycling around the world, communicating his "message of peace" to 54 countries - and racking up 46,000 miles - when his arrival at the US Mexican border in November proved how badly his message was still needed.
US border guards arrested him and he was sent to an Arizona detention centre for nearly four months.
This week Mr Baluchi's message finally got through when a judge in the town of Florence, LaMonte Freerks, granted his request for political asylum. But he remained in custody while lawyers decided whether to appeal against the decision.
Mr Baluchi said he had applied for a US visa in Mexico, but after three months' wait he got lost cycling near the border.
"I sleep in my tent. Helicopter comes. I don't know I cross border," he told the Arizona Republic newspaper.
His lawyer, Suzannah Maclay, said that before fleeing Iran Mr Baluchi had been arrested for wearing a Michael Jackson T-shirt and carrying a video of a romantic film, then beaten and hung by his wrists from a tree. He was later jailed for 18 months for membership of a dissident group.
Mr Baluchi plans to complete his journey of a lifetime by riding to Los Angeles and running to Ground Zero.
"I cannot stop me," he said. "I run for peace."
Iranian cyclist who entered U.S. illegally granted asylum
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