Swiss man found dead in Iranian prison had allegedly collected soil samples

Iranian media: Swiss allegedly collected soil samples Keystone-SDA

The Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison is said to have secretly taken soil samples beforehand, according to Iranian media. According to the Swiss foreign ministry, the 64-year-old man was travelling in Iran as a tourist.

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The man was arrested during the Israeli airstrike on Iran at the end of October 2024, reported the portal Nurnews, which maintains good contacts in the Iranian security apparatus. The intelligence service had accused him of taking soil samples in a desert region.

The man was then arrested by the secret service and taken to Semnan prison, almost 200 kilometres east of the Iranian capital Tehran. According to official statements, he took his own life there on Thursday. The Iranian news portal Tabnak reported that the Iranians are said to have arrested not only the Swiss national but also a network of collaborators.

Travelling as a tourist

The Swiss national is a 64-year-old man who had been travelling as a tourist in Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry wrote on Friday at the request of the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA. He had not been resident in Switzerland for almost 20 years and had last lived in southern Africa.

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The Swiss embassy in Tehran was informed by the Iranian authorities on December 10, 2024, that a Swiss national had been arrested on suspicion of espionage, the foreign ministry said.

Since then, the Swiss embassy in Tehran has been in daily contact with the Iranian authorities to obtain more information on the circumstances of the arrest and access to the detained Swiss national, according to the foreign ministry. However, due to the accusations of espionage and national security, the requested consular access was not granted during the ongoing preliminary investigation phase, the foreign ministry added. On Thursday, the embassy was informed that the Swiss national had taken his own life in prison.

No other Swiss detained in Iran

According to the foreign ministry, Switzerland is demanding detailed information from the Iranian authorities about the reasons for his arrest and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death. The repatriation of the body to Switzerland, which is to take place in the next few days, is also a top priority. The foreign ministry is assisting the relatives of the deceased within the framework of consular protection.

There are currently no Swiss nationals in Iranian custody, the foreign ministry added.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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