A Swiss national arrested in Iran and charged with espionage has died in prison, according to Iranian state media.
The man was being held with another inmate in a prison in the eastern city of Semnan when he “killed himself” on Thursday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
The judiciary-run Mizan news agency reported that prison officials immediately took action to save the Swiss national's life, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Mizan did not provide further details about the man's identity.
“This morning a Swiss citizen 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 was “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 citizens and foreigners, mostly on espionage and security-related charges.
Switzerland plays an important mediating role between Washington and Tehran, as it represents American interests in Iran and shares messages between the two countries.