Switzerland has demanded more information from Iranian authorities after a Swiss citizen was arrested in the country and died in prison, the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) says.
A Swiss national who was arrested in Iran and accused of spying took his own life in prison on Thursday, the chief justice of Iran’s Semnan province was quoted as saying by the judiciary news agency Mizan.
The FDFA says it had been informed by the Islamic Republic about the arrest of the 64-year-old man on Dec. 10 on suspicion of espionage.
The man had been traveling in Iran as a tourist, and had not resided in Switzerland for almost 20 years, the FDFA said, adding he had been living in southern Africa.
After being informed of the arrest, the Swiss embassy in Tehran had tried to get more information and speak with the man, a request that was denied due to the ongoing Iranian investigation.
“Switzerland is demanding that the Iranian authorities provide detailed information on the reasons for his arrest and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death,” the FDFA says in a statement.
The FDFA says it was also seeking the repatriation of the man’s body, expected in the next few days.
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