“This morning, a Swiss national committed suicide in Semnan prison,” said a statement on the Mizan website attributed to Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, Semnan’s chief judge.
The statement added that he had been “arrested by Iranian security forces for espionage” and the case was “under investigation”.
In recent years, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on espionage and security charges.
Switzerland plays an important role as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, as it represents American interests in Iran and shares messages between the two countries.
