Swiss citizen detained in Iran had lived in South Africa for the past 2 decades

On Thursday, January 10, the Chief Justice of Semnan Province announced the suicide of a Swiss national who had been arrested on charges of espionage.

According to the Chief Justice of Semnan Province, the Swiss national was being held in a suite with another prisoner in Semnan Prison who asked his cellmate to provide him with food from the prison cafeteria; the prisoner took advantage of the time he was left alone in the suite and committed suicide.

According to the Chief Justice of Semnan Province, prison officials immediately took action to save the person, but efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

Akbari said: "All evidence and documents of the place where this person is being held have been examined and according to the documents, it is clear that he committed suicide."

The Swiss Foreign Ministry issued a statement, while providing explanations about the Swiss citizen who was arrested on charges of espionage, and announced that this person had not lived in Switzerland for 2 decades.

In this statement, the Foreign Ministry called on Iranian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this person's death. The Swiss Foreign Ministry, noting that it had been informed of the arrest of this man, announced that he had been living in South Africa.

According to the aforementioned statement, Switzerland wants to return the man's body to the country and expects this to be done in the coming days.

In this regard, Nicolas Bidot, spokesman for the Swiss Foreign Ministry, following the announcement of the death of a Swiss citizen in Iran, announced: "Iranian authorities have informed the Swiss Foreign Ministry of the death of a Swiss citizen in prison."