Swiss ambassador visits US detainees in Iran
The Swiss ambassador in Iran has paid a second visit to three United States hikers detained in a Tehran prison, the US State Department revealed on Friday.
A State Department spokesman said the visit had taken place on Thursday, “after repeated requests”.
The ambassador, acting in a consular capacity, saw the three for 40 minutes at the Evin prison, and brought them clothes and other supplies.
The spokesman gave no further details, but the families of the hikers said the three were in “good physical shape”.
The three Americans – two men and a woman – were detained when they crossed into Iran over the partially unmarked border with Iraqi Kurdistan on July 31. Their families say they crossed by mistake.
Swiss diplomats were first allowed to visit them at the end of September.
Switzerland represents US interests in Iran, since Washington has not had formal diplomatic relations with the country for nearly 30 years.
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