Benjamin Briere, 36, who was arrested in May 2020 while travelling in Iran and is currently on hunger strike, was also given an additional eight-month sentence for propaganda against Iran's Islamic system


A court in Iran has sentenced a French man to eight years in jail on spying charges, his Paris-based lawyer said Tuesday, denouncing his trial as a sham and the accusations as baseless.
Benjamin Briere, 36, who was arrested in May 2020 while travelling in Iran and is currently on hunger strike, was also given an additional eight-month sentence for propaganda against Iran's Islamic system, his lawyer Philippe Valent said in a statement.
"This verdict is the result of a purely political process that is... devoid of any basis," he said.
Slamming the trial, which began on Thursday, as a "masquerade", he added that Briere "did not have a fair trial in front of impartial judges" and noted he had not been allowed to access the full indictment against him.
Briere is one of more than a dozen Western citizens held in Iran, described as hostages by activists who say they are innocent of any crime and detained at the behest of the powerful Revolutionary Guards to extract concessions from the West.
Nationals of all three European powers involved in the talks on the Iranian nuclear programme -- Britain, France and Germany -- are among the foreigners being held.
"It is not tolerable that Benjamin Briere is being held a hostage to negotiations by a regime which keeps a French citizen arbitrarily detained merely to use him as currency in an exchange," Valent added.
He said Briere was "more and more weakened" by a hunger strike that has now lasted a month.
Source: AFP

JI chief offers help for Afghanistan talks, slams govt’s approach to national security
- 6 hours ago

Nagpur riots: Hindu extremist group demands destruction of Aurangzeb's tomb
- 6 hours ago

Saudi authorities arrest 50 people, including 11 women, for prostitution charges
- 6 hours ago

Sindh announces holiday for educational institutions on March 22
- 3 hours ago
Gold prices hit historic highs amid global economic concerns
- 5 hours ago
Jaffar Express resumes operations after terrorist attack
- 6 hours ago

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet on March 30 for Shawwal moon sighting
- 2 hours ago

Mustafa Amir murder case: Father and son clash in court during case hearing
- 4 hours ago
Virtual learning introduced at Balochistan universities amid growing security risks
- 18 minutes ago

Dollar surges as forex markets struggle amid IMF delays, economic pressures
- 3 hours ago

Pakistan vows full force against terrorism in recent security meeting
- 3 hours ago

Bangladesh’s 2025 tour of Pakistan confirmed for white-ball series
- 6 hours ago