Iran says Swedish citizen detained for espionage might face other charges

A Swedish citizen detained in Iran on suspicion of espionage might face other charges, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Masoud Setayeshi said on Tuesday in a televised news conference.

The suspect, who remains unnamed, had been under surveillance by the intelligence ministry during several previous trips to Iran because of “suspicious behaviour”, the official IRNA news agency reported in July.

This comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries after a court in Stockholm sentenced a former Iranian official for war crimes in July. Iran has arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related accusations. Rights groups refer to this as a tactic intended to win concessions from abroad by inventing charges, which Tehran denies.

Image Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

Tags : Iran