Swiss national dies in Iran prison after spy arrest

A Swiss national arrested in Iran and accused of spying has died in prison, according to Iranian state media.

The man was incarcerated with another prisoner in a prison in the eastern city of Semnan when he “committed suicide” on Thursday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said.

The judiciary-run Mizan News Agency said prison officials immediately took action to save the Swiss citizen’s life, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Mizan did not provide further details about the man’s identity.

“This morning, a Swiss citizen committed suicide in Semnan prison,” said a statement on Mizan’s website, attributed to Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, the leader of Semnan.

The statement added that he had been “arrested by Iranian security forces for espionage” and that the case was “under investigation”.

In recent years, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of national and foreign duals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.

Switzerland plays an important intermediary role between Washington and Tehran, as it represents American interests in Iran and shares messages between the two countries.