Swiss national dies in Iranian prison

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian judiciary said on Thursday that a Swiss citizen jailed for espionage had committed suicide in prison. The Swiss foreign ministry said it is in contact with Iran to “clarify” the incident. 

“This morning a Swiss citizen committed suicide in the place of detention in Semnan prison. This Swiss citizen was arrested by security agencies for espionage and there are documents and evidence regarding this matter and his case was being reviewed and processed,” Mizan, a news agency affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, cited Mohammad Sadeq Akbari, chief justice of Iran's Semnan province, as saying. 

He did not provide further details about the identity of the Swiss national but claimed that he was held in a “suite” with another prisoner. 

“This morning he asked his cellmate to provide him with food from the prison buffet.. This prisoner took advantage of the time he was left alone in the cell and committed suicide,” the chief justice said, noting that their efforts to save his life were successful. 

Switzerland serves as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran, representing American interests in Iran and facilitating the exchange of messages between the two nations.

The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed in a post on X that one of their citizens has died in Iranian prisons. 

“The Iranian authorities have informed the FDFA [Foreign Department of Foreign Affairs] of the death of a Swiss citizen in prison. We are in contact with the authorities to clarify the circumstances of the death,” it said. 

In recent years, Iran has arrested many dual nationals and foreigners, mainly accusing them of espionage and security-related offenses.