Iran says Swiss national who died in prison had taken photos of military sites

A Swiss national who Iranian authorities said took his own life while in an Iranian jail after being arrested on suspicion of espionage had taken pictures of military sites, Iran’s judiciary spokesperson says.

Switzerland had demanded detailed information on the reasons for the arrest of the 64-year-old man, who had been traveling in Iran as a tourist, and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death earlier this month.

“The person had entered the country from Dogharoun (bordering Afghanistan) in October as a tourist in a car fitted with various technical equipment meant for different purposes,” the judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir says.

The spokesperson says the detainee had hanged himself with a piece of cloth after turning off his cell’s light and placing himself out of the view of security cameras.

“After passing through several provinces, he entered Semnan province and was arrested while being in a military-restricted zone,” Jahangir says. “He was arrested on charges of taking pictures of the military zone and collaborating with hostile states.”

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have in recent years arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.

Rights groups accuse Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.