French tourist Benjamin Briere, who was arrested in Iran 10 months ago, faces charges of “spying and propaganda against the system”, one of his lawyers told Reuters on Monday.
The revelation comes as the United States and European parties to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, including France, are trying to restore the pact.
“On Sunday, he (Briere) was charged with two counts of espionage and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” his lawyer Saeid Dehghan said, adding that Briere faces a long-term jail sentence.
“My colleagues and I believe that these charges are false and baseless, but we have to wait for the judge to conduct a full investigation in the next few days and announce his verdict,” Dehghan said.
According to the Lawyer, the 35-year-old had been arrested after flying a helicam in the desert near the Turkmenistan-Iran border.
“His last defence was taken yesterday. His spying charges is because of taking pictures in forbidden areas,” Dehghan said.
The lawyer said Briere has also been charged with “propaganda against the system” because of a post on social media, in which he said “the hijab is mandatory” in the Islamic Republic of Iran, but not in other Islamic countries.
“He is in the Vakilabad prison in the city of Mashhad. His health is good, and he has access to his lawyers and also he benefits from consular protection and the French embassy officials have been in regular contact with him.”
France has yet to comment on Briere’s charges. Last month, France’s foreign ministry confirmed that a French citizen was being held in Iran and said it was monitoring the situation.
“Although the French government is pursuing Briere’s case, I am concerned that any delay in comprehensive follow-up will further complicate the case,” Dehghan said.
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, mostly on espionage charges.
