According to a media report, Iran has arrested a Swedish citizen for espionage. The suspect has traveled to Palestinian territories in the past, visited non-tourist destinations in Iran and made contact with people under surveillance, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. Sweden is accused of “surrogate espionage” on behalf of Iran’s arch-enemy Israel.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case. It is the case of a man who was arrested in Iran in May. Relations between the two countries are difficult. A court in Stockholm had convicted a former Iranian official of war crimes in early July.
He was accused of mass executions and torturing political prisoners in an Iranian prison in the 1980s. Iran had described the verdict as politically motivated.
Iran has arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on charges of espionage. Human rights groups refer to this as a tactic to obtain concessions from abroad.