Iran says Swiss national charged with spying dies by suicide
A Swiss national facing espionage charges committed suicide in prison, a local judiciary official said on Thursday, without identifying the individual or elaborating on the case.
A Swiss national facing espionage charges committed suicide in prison, a local judiciary official said on Thursday, without identifying the individual or elaborating on the case.
Switzerland confirmed the death of one of its citizens but also provided few details.
"The FDFA confirms the death of a Swiss citizen in Iran," spokesperson Pierre-Alain Eltschinger told Iran International.
"The Swiss Embassy in Tehran is in contact with the local authorities to clarify the circumstances of the death in an Iranian prison," Eltschinger added.
The person took their own life in a prison cell, according to judicial official in Iran's northern province of Semnan.
"The Swiss detainee was held in a suite with another inmate in Semnan prison," Iran's judiciary news website Mizan quoted Mohammad Sadegh Akbari as saying.
"This morning the detainee asked their cellmate to purchase food from the prison canteen. Taking advantage of time alone in the suite, the detainee committed suicide."
"Prison officials immediately intervened to save the individual, but their efforts were unsuccessful," he added. "Suicide has been definitively confirmed."
Iran has arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Some have been released in deals that see Iranians with the security establishment in Tehran freed from foreign jails.
Switzerland represents American interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington broke official ties shortly after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The Swiss government has acted as intermediary and shared messages between the two countries.
Precedents
Iran's account of the alleged suicide of the Swiss national is likely to be questioned by human rights groups which accuse Iran of mistreating inmates, especially in cases where few details are provided, not even the individuals name.
Precedent also suggests that early reports of events inside Iranian prisons can be later qualified or even contradicted.
Last November, a US-based German-Iranian national died in prison in Tehran, with conflicting reports about his death.
Jamshid Sharmahd, 68, was on death row for "endangering national security". He had been abducted by Iranian agents during a visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2020 and forcibly taken to Iran.
State media announced in October 28, 2024 that "justice was served" vis a vis Sharmahd, implying his sentence had been carried out.
A week later, Iran’s judiciary said Sharmahd had died of a stroke before his scheduled execution, contradicting previous official accounts but providing little clarity.
