Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has announced that it has arrested a Swedish national on espionage charges after having him under surveillance for some time. The intelligence ministry’s statement on Saturday did not name the Swedish national or provide information about his age or whereabouts. It is also unclear if this is the same person whose arrest was announced by the Swedish Foreign Ministry in May. At the time, Sweden said a tourist in his 30s had been arrested, but Iran had not reported the arrest. However, a statement from Iran’s intelligence ministry on Saturday said the detainee’s travels had been closely monitored since the unspecified moment he entered the country and that his travels “were entirely outside tourist destinations and practices.” “Findings by the ministry’s counter-espionage structure show that the Swedish suspect was in contact with a number of suspected European and non-European elements in Iran, using professional communication and security practices and secrecy,” it said. The ministry said the Swedish national re-entered the country several months ago, shortly after the arrest of “another European spy”. The person’s goal, he claimed, was to find out how the other person was arrested and what information they had, which led to the arrest of the Swedish national when he tried to leave the country. Iran’s intelligence ministry also said the detainee had a historic trip to Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy. In May, Iranian intelligence arrested two French nationals accused of helping organize protests by teachers. Last week, Iranian intelligence and law enforcement agencies announced the arrests of two separate groups allegedly working for Israel’s Mossad spy agency. News of the Swedish national’s arrest comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and Stockholm. Iran condemned Sweden for the arrest and trials of Hamid Nouri, an Iranian national who was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Nouri was convicted of murder while serving as an assistant deputy prosecutor at Gohardasht prison outside the Iranian city of Karaj in 1988. Tehran recalled its ambassador to Sweden last week for “consultations” but said it had no immediate plans to cut or reduce diplomatic ties. Iran has also held Ahmad Reza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish researcher, imprisoned since 2016 on espionage charges. Jalali was sentenced to death, but his sentence has not yet been carried out despite reports earlier this year that he could be executed before the end of May.
