Claim from a Source Amidst Officials' Silence: Swiss National Arrested for Soil Sampling in the Desert

Several Iranian state media outlets reported, citing a Thursday report from the 'Khabar Fori' website, about the announcement of a Swiss citizen's suicide and death in Semnan prison, stating that he was arrested while 'gathering information' in one of the cities of Semnan province. According to the 'Tabnak' website, quoting Khabar Fori, 'an informed security official' claimed that 'one of the citizens of Switzerland' was arrested by the forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while 'collecting information and sampling soil in central Iran's desert' coinciding with Israel's attacks on certain locations in Iran, including Shahroud. This 'informed security official' did not mention the time, place, or identity of this Swiss citizen in his conversation with Khabar Fori. The claim by 'Khabar Fori' regarding the reason for the arrest of this Swiss national has not been confirmed, and Voice of America has no means to verify it. Additionally, it was reported that the Swiss government confirmed the death of one of its citizens in Semnan prison. Iranian state media announced that a Swiss citizen, who was imprisoned on charges of 'espionage,' had died. Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, the head of the Semnan judiciary, claimed without naming the Swiss citizen that he had 'committed suicide' in prison. Voice of America cannot independently confirm Akbari's claim regarding the 'suicide' of this Swiss citizen. Following this, the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of one of its citizens in Semnan prison in a private correspondence with Voice of America. The ministry added that the Swiss embassy in Tehran is in contact with Iranian officials to clarify the circumstances of this citizen's death in prison. The Swiss Foreign Ministry did not mention the identity of the deceased citizen and stated that consular protection is being provided to his relatives and that no further details can be provided at this stage. In response, the Swiss Foreign Ministry did not even mention the gender of this citizen. Voice of America has sought more details from the Swiss government regarding the identity of the deceased individual, the date of his arrest, the charges brought against him, and the government's reaction to the death of this citizen but has not yet received a response regarding these details. The head of the Semnan judiciary stated that 'this Swiss citizen was kept in a suite with another prisoner in Semnan prison,' claiming that he 'requested his cellmate to obtain food for him from the prison cafeteria' and 'used the time he was alone in the suite' to commit 'suicide.' This judicial official of the Islamic Republic claimed that 'the efforts of prison officials to save this individual were unsuccessful' and asserted that 'suicide is evident.' The announcement of the Swiss citizen's death has received widespread coverage in global media. Reuters noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, mainly on espionage and security charges. According to this news agency, Switzerland plays a significant mediating role between Washington and Tehran, as it represents U.S. interests in Iran and exchanges messages between the two countries. Previously, Iranian judicial officials have attributed the suspicious deaths of some political prisoners to 'suicide.' Among the suspicious deaths of political prisoners in Iranian prisons was Kavous Seyed-Emami, a dual national and Iranian-Canadian university professor, who died two weeks after his arrest in Evin prison, with Iranian officials claiming he hanged himself. However, they prevented independent investigations into the cause of his death by hastily burying Seyed-Emami's body. At the same time, Seyed-Emami's family was under severe pressure from the IRGC to accept the official narrative of the Islamic Republic regarding the suspicious death of this dual national prisoner. Concurrently with Kavous Seyed-Emami, eight environmental activists, including Houman Jokar, Taher Qadiryian, Morad Tahbaz, Sepideh Kashani, and Niloufar Bayani, were arrested. In this regard, The Guardian reported that a reporter close to the IRGC claimed that the arrested environmental activists were trying to identify sensitive areas used for Iran's missile tests by setting up cameras and sampling soil. They were sentenced to a total of 58 years in prison in Bahman 1398. Ultimately, some of these environmental activists were released after completing their sentences, while others were released in Farvardin of this year following what was termed the 'recent amnesty' by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. The death of a Swiss citizen in Semnan prison; the judiciary's claim: he committed suicide. Cecilia Sala, the 'kidnapped' Italian journalist, was released. France urged its citizens not to travel to Iran for 'the freedom of hostages.' Shirin Ebadi: The Italian journalist will not be the last hostage of the Islamic Republic. Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist, was sentenced to ten years in prison. A call was published in Germany: the IRGC should be recognized as a terrorist organization. Germany warned its citizens regarding the execution of Sharmeh: leave Iran. The U.S. Special Representative's Deputy: The execution of Jamshid Sharmeh indicates the continuation of the 'heinous actions' of the Iranian government. Ahmadreza Jalali, a dual national prisoner at risk of execution in Evin, is on hunger strike.