Tehran, Iran – Iran’s judiciary says the Swiss national who died in an Iranian prison earlier this month was arrested after taking photographs at sensitive military sites.

Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told reporters during a news conference on Wednesday that the unnamed man entered Iran through the Dogharoun border crossing with Afghanistan in northeastern Razavi Khorasan Province last year.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

His vehicle had “a variety of technical equipment with difficult uses” and he entered as a tourist, Jahangir said.

Swiss officials, who had previously confirmed the man’s death, had identified him as a 64-year-old who had been visiting the country as a tourist. They said he had been living in Southern Africa and had not resided in Switzerland for nearly two decades.

The Iranian judiciary spokesperson said on Wednesday that the man was born in Namibia, held Swiss citizenship, and entered in the Iranian calendar month of Mehr, which ended on October 21.

“The person entered the province of Semnan after passing through several provinces, and was arrested in a prohibited military site while photographing it. He was arrested on charges of photographing restricted resources and cooperation with a hostile government and was moved to prison. At the same time, the Swiss embassy in Tehran was informed.”

Advertisement

Iran has said that the unnamed Swiss national died by suicide while jailed.

Jahangir said that on January 9, the Swiss national cut off electricity to his cell and killed himself in an area of the cell that was not visible 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 body and confirmed the suicide. The body was moved to the coroner’s office in Tehran and handed over in the presence of representatives from the Swiss embassy,” Jahangir said.

Semnan is located in central Iran and is home to several large military sites, including major satellite and ballistic missile testing and launch facilities.