Iran withheld information on detained Swiss citizen

Iran withheld information on detained Swiss citizen from Switzerland Keystone-SDA

The Iranian authorities have withheld information from Switzerland about a Swiss national who died in Iranian custody. In addition, the embassy was not given access to the detainee.

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Only three weeks after the Swiss embassy in Tehran was informed that a person had been detained on suspicion of espionage did they learn he was a Swiss national, the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday. The Swiss paper Sonntagsblick had initially reported this.

Due to the espionage allegations, the Iranian authorities have also not granted the consular access requested by Switzerland, according to the foreign ministry. Although this is in line with the usual practice of the Iranian authorities in similar accusations, it violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, according to the foreign ministry. This had been clearly communicated to the Iranian authorities on several occasions.

In daily contact

The Swiss embassy was informed that a Swiss national was detained on December 10. According to the foreign ministry, the Swiss embassy in Tehran was then in daily contact with the Iranian authorities in order to obtain more information on the circumstances of the arrest and access to the detained Swiss national. According to the Iranian portal Nurnews, the 64-year-old is said to have been arrested back in October.

On January 9, 2025, the embassy was informed that the Swiss national had taken his own life in prison. Switzerland then demanded that the Iranian authorities conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and death of the Swiss national.

The Swiss foreign ministry did not disclose what information Switzerland has received from Iran so far in response to a request on Sunday. The body of the deceased was brought to Switzerland on January 22.

Adapted from German by DeepL/jdp

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