Politics Swiss man found dead in Iranian prison
A Swiss national has been found dead in a prison in Iran. According to the Iranian authorities, the man had committed suicide and was accused of espionage. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Bern was informed by Tehran.
09.01.2025, 16:47
09.01.2025, 17:34
SDA
The Iranian authorities had informed the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) about the death of a Swiss citizen in a prison, announced Nicolas Bideau, head of communications at the FDFA, on the short message service X on Thursday afternoon.
According to Iranian state media, the incident took place in Semnan prison in the north-east of the country. "This morning, a Swiss citizen committed suicide in Semnan prison," reported Mizan Online, the press organ of the Iranian judiciary. It added that the prisoner had been arrested by the security authorities for suspected espionage and that his case was under investigation.
Several European nationals, some of them with Iranian passports, are currently imprisoned in Iran. Critics accuse Tehran of holding foreign citizens as political hostages. Iran rejects the accusations and usually justifies the arrests with accusations of espionage. The exact number of Europeans detained in Iran is not known.
