Iran says Swiss national who died in custody photographed military sites

Iran’s judiciary maintains that the unidentified antheral died by termination aft being arrested for espionage.

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s judiciary says the Swiss nationalist who died successful an Iranian prison earlier this period was arrested aft taking photographs astatine delicate subject sites.

Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told reporters during a quality league connected Wednesday that the unnamed antheral entered Iran done the Dogharoun borderline crossing with Afghanistan successful northeastern Razavi Khorasan Province past year.

His conveyance had “a assortment of method instrumentality with hard uses” and helium entered arsenic a tourist, Jahangir said.

Swiss officials, who had antecedently confirmed the man’s death, had identified him arsenic a 64-year-old who had been visiting the state arsenic a tourist. They said helium had been surviving successful Southern Africa and had not resided successful Switzerland for astir 2 decades.

The Iranian judiciary spokesperson said connected Wednesday that the antheral was calved successful Namibia, held Swiss citizenship, and entered successful the Iranian calendar period of Mehr, which ended connected October 21.

“The idiosyncratic entered the state of Semnan aft passing done respective provinces, and was arrested successful a prohibited subject tract portion photographing it. He was arrested connected charges of photographing restricted resources and practice with a hostile authorities and was moved to prison. At the aforesaid time, the Swiss embassy successful Tehran was informed.”

Iran has said that the unnamed Swiss nationalist died by termination portion jailed.

Jahangir said that connected January 9, the Swiss nationalist chopped disconnected energy to his compartment and killed himself successful an country of the compartment that was not disposable to the prison’s camera system. Attempts to revive him failed.

The spokesperson said a delegation from the Swiss embassy, which comprised a trusted doctor, was invited to the site.

“They examined the assemblage and confirmed the suicide. The assemblage was moved to the coroner’s bureau successful Tehran and handed implicit successful the beingness of representatives from the Swiss embassy,” Jahangir said.

Semnan is located successful cardinal Iran and is location to respective ample subject sites, including large satellite and ballistic rocket investigating and motorboat facilities.