ZURICH (Reuters) -Switzerland has demanded more information from authorities in Iran after a Swiss citizen died in prison in the Islamic Republic.
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 Iranian judiciary news agency Mizan.
The Swiss foreign ministry said on Friday it had been informed by Iran about the arrest of the 64-year-old man on suspicion of espionage on Dec. 10.
He had been travelling in Iran as a tourist and had not resided in Switzerland for almost 20 years, the ministry said, adding that he had been living in southern Africa.
The Swiss embassy in Tehran had tried to obtain more information and to speak to the man but the request was denied because of the ongoing Iranian investigation, it said.
“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 ministry said in a statement.
It said it was seeking the repatriation of the man’s body, and this was expected in the next few days.
Nournews, which is affiliated with a top state security body, said the man was arrested “while collecting information and taking soil samples in the central desert of Iran.”
Nournews said his arrest coincided with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military targets on Oct. 26, and that he committed suicide “using his previous training at the spy service”.
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.
Switzerland plays an intermediary role between Washington and Tehran as it represents American interests in Iran and passes messages between the two countries.
France’s foreign ministry said separately that Iran’s ambassador had been summoned over French nationals it described as “hostages” of Iran.
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was freed by Iran on Wednesday and returned home, three weeks after being detained in Tehran during a reporting trip shortly after Italy’s arrest of an Iranian wanted by the United States.
(Reporting by John Revill, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Timothy Heritage)
