Conviction issued for French tourist imprisoned in Iran; charges: espionage and propaganda against the regime
In the latest move against foreign nationals in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a court in Mashhad issued a guilty verdict against Benjamin Brier, a French citizen who was arrested ten months ago.
Ten months ago, French tourist Benjamin Brier was arrested after flying a drone in the plains near the Turkmenistan-Iran border, and on Sunday, June 29, the Mashhad Prosecutor's Office accused him of espionage by "taking photographs of prohibited areas."
Saeed Dehghan, one of the lawyers for this French citizen arrested in Iran, wrote on Twitter that the Mashhad Prosecutor's Office has issued a guilty verdict on two charges of "espionage" and "propaganda against the regime" and has issued a restraining order for his client's other two charges of "corruption on earth" and "drinking alcohol."
According to available information, the charge of propaganda against the regime was based on Mr. Brier's postings on social media claiming that the hijab is "mandatory" in Iran and "optional" in other Islamic countries, which he called contradictory and questionable.
Mr. Dehghan told Reuters that his client is in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad and that staff from the consular section of the French Embassy have also contacted him.
Previously, Voice of America reported that French tourist Benjamin Brier was arrested in the city of Mashhad, and his lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, said that the charges against the French tourist were contradictory and baseless.
It is worth noting that, in addition to Benjamin Brier, several other European and American citizens have been imprisoned by the Islamic Republic in recent years on similar charges. Previously, Fariba Adelkhah, an Iranian-French citizen, was sentenced to six years in prison; a number of dual American and non-American citizens – including Anousheh Asshouri, Nahid Taghavi, Siamak and Bagher Namazi, Emad Sharghi, Morad Tahbaz, Aras Amiri, Kamran Ghaderi, Jamshid Sharmehed, and Masoud Mosaheb – are currently imprisoned in Iran.
Kylie Moore Gilbert, an Australian-British citizen, was also imprisoned in Iran for more than two years, but was recently released in exchange for the release of three Iranians accused of terrorist acts in Thailand who were imprisoned in that country.
Western analysts have repeatedly said that the Islamic Republic uses dual nationals as hostages to extract money and privileges from Western governments.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has intensified its detention of foreign nationals and dual citizens in recent years. The U.S. Department of State has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic’s arbitrary and unjustified detention of U.S. and foreign citizens, including dual Iranian nationals, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Source: Voice of America
