New Information on Swiss National Who Died in Iranian Prison; 64-Year-Old Tourist

The Swiss government has requested detailed information from the Islamic Republic regarding the reasons for the detention and the circumstances leading to the death of a citizen of this country in an Iranian prison. The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, January 21, in a statement sent to the Persian section of Voice of America, that Iranian officials informed the Swiss embassy in Tehran on December 20 that a 64-year-old Swiss man had been detained on suspicion of 'espionage.' According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry's statement, this citizen, who had not resided in Switzerland for the past 20 years and was living in South Africa, had traveled to Iran as a tourist. The statement adds that the Swiss embassy in Tehran has been in daily contact with Iranian officials since learning of the detention to obtain more information about the conditions of the detention and access to him. However, Iranian officials did not agree to the Swiss embassy's requests, claiming that the accusations against this individual were 'espionage-security' related and were in the preliminary investigation stage. According to the statement, on Thursday, January 20, the Swiss embassy in Tehran was informed that a citizen of this country had 'committed suicide' in prison. The Swiss Foreign Ministry further stated that the Swiss government demands precise and detailed information regarding the reasons for the detention of its citizen by the Iranian government and a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his death. Based on this statement, the return of this citizen's body to Switzerland is a priority and is expected to occur 'within the next few days.' The Swiss Foreign Ministry concluded its statement by noting that consular protection is being provided to the relatives of this deceased citizen and that currently, there are no Swiss citizens in Iranian prisons, and no further information can be provided at this time. Earlier, several Iranian state media outlets cited a report from the news site 'Khabar Fori' on Thursday, January 20, regarding the announcement of the suicide and death of a Swiss citizen in Semnan prison, stating that he was detained while 'collecting information' in one of the cities of Semnan province. Additionally, see: Allegation from a source amidst officials' silence: The Swiss citizen was detained for soil sampling in the desert. According to the 'Tabnak' news site, citing Khabar Fori, 'an informed security official' claimed that 'one of the citizens of Switzerland' was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while 'collecting information and soil samples in central Iran's desert' during an Israeli attack on certain locations in Iran, including Shahroud. This 'informed security official' did not specify 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 detention of this Swiss citizen has not been confirmed, and there is no way for Voice of America to verify it. Also, see: Exclusive; Switzerland confirmed the death of one of its citizens in Semnan prison. Official Iranian media announced on Thursday morning in a uniform report that a Swiss citizen who was imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran on charges of 'espionage' had died. According to Iranian state media, Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, the head of the Semnan judiciary, claimed without mentioning the name of this Swiss citizen that he had 'committed suicide' in prison. Following this, the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of a citizen of this country in Semnan prison in a special correspondence with Voice of America. This 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, without mentioning the identity of its deceased citizen, stated that consular protection is being provided to his relatives and that at this stage, it cannot provide further details. Meanwhile, the head of the Semnan judiciary stated that 'this Swiss citizen was kept in a suite with another inmate in Semnan prison,' claiming that he 'requested his cellmate to get him food from the prison cafeteria that morning' 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.' Voice of America cannot independently verify the claims of the head of the Semnan judiciary regarding the manner and details of this Swiss citizen's 'suicide.' The announcement of the death of the Swiss citizen has received widespread coverage in global media. Reuters noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has detained dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, primarily on charges of espionage and security. 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 had 'hanged himself.' However, they prevented independent investigations into the cause of his death by immediately burying Mr. Seyed-Emami's body. Meanwhile, Mr. Seyed-Emami's family was under severe pressure from the Revolutionary Guards to accept the official narrative of the Islamic Republic regarding the suspicious death of this dual national prisoner. Also, see: Reactions to the release of environmentalists after Khamenei's 'amnesty': The Islamic Republic has taken a 'pose of justice execution.'