Swiss citizen commits suicide in Iranian prison after spy charges, authorities say

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Iranian authorities announced that a Swiss citizen accused of espionage committed suicide in prison, according to state-affiliated media.

Mizan News Agency, linked to Iran's judiciary, cited Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, head of the Supreme Court in Semnan province, saying, "This morning a Swiss citizen committed suicide in the place of detention in Semnan prison…This Swiss citizen was arrested by security agencies for espionage and there are documents and evidence regarding this matter and his case was being reviewed and processed."

“Prison officials immediately took action to save this person, but efforts to save him were unsuccessful." He added.

Mizan provided no further details about the man's identity and noted that resuscitation efforts had failed.

In recent years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have detained dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mainly on charges of espionage and national security violations.

The incident comes a day after Tehran released Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained on December 19, 2024, for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s laws.

Sala was arrested during a professional visit to Tehran on a journalist visa. Local authorities said her detention was due to breaching Iranian regulations but did not provide further details.

Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality among its citizens, currently holds several Western nationals, most of whom also hold Iranian citizenship.