Arrest of an Iranian-Swedish Dual National in Iran on Espionage Charges
Iranian and Swedish authorities have confirmed the detention of a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen in Iran on charges of espionage.
Iranian and Swedish authorities have confirmed the detention of a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen in Iran on charges of espionage, amid heightened security crackdowns following the recent twelve-day conflict between Iran and Israel. The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it is aware of the detention of one of its citizens in Iran and is in contact with the individual’s family through the Swedish embassy in Tehran. According to the ministry, the detainee has legal representation. Swedish officials said they would not provide further details out of respect for consular secrecy and to avoid interfering with ongoing efforts.
Sweden’s confirmation came hours after Iran’s judiciary publicly announced the arrest of a dual national Iranian-Swedish citizen during the twelve-day war. On Tuesday, December 16, Iran’s judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated that a verdict in the case would be issued soon, while declining to identify the accused by name. He said the individual is charged with espionage on behalf of Israel’s intelligence services.
According to Jahangir, the accused obtained Swedish citizenship in 2020 and had been residing in Sweden. He claimed that the individual entered Iran approximately one month before the outbreak of the twelve-day war between Iran and Israel and stayed in a villa near the city of Karaj, northwest of Tehran. Iranian authorities say the individual was arrested on the fourth day of the conflict, which began on June 13.
Iranian judicial officials allege that the accused was recruited by Israeli intelligence services in 2023, received training in six European countries, and traveled to Israel roughly two weeks prior to entering Iran. Jahangir further claimed that security forces discovered electronic surveillance equipment in the individual’s possession at the time of arrest. These allegations have been presented by Iranian authorities without the publication of independent evidence.
The case is reportedly being handled by the Revolutionary Court in Karaj. Last week, Hossein Fazeli Harikandi, head of the judiciary in Alborz Province, confirmed that legal proceedings had begun and repeated claims that the accused had met with Israeli intelligence operatives and undergone training in Israeli-controlled territory. Iranian officials say the case is being prosecuted under Article 6 of Iran’s “Law on Countering Hostile Actions of the Zionist Regime Against Peace and Security.”
Article 6 defines any intelligence cooperation or espionage in favor of Israel as equivalent to Moharebeh (enmity against God) and efsad-e fel-arz (corruption on earth), crimes that carry the harshest penalties under Iranian law, including the death sentence. In recent months, Iran has further tightened espionage laws. In October, a bill titled “Intensifying Punishment for Espionage” was approved and became law following ratification by the Guardian Council. Under the revised legislation, intelligence activity or operational cooperation with “hostile states or groups” is punishable by execution and confiscation of property. The law explicitly names the United States and Israel as hostile states, while allowing Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to designate additional entities.
This prosecution is unfolding in a broader climate of intensified repression following the war. Iranian authorities have announced a significant increase in executions of individuals convicted of espionage for Israel. Babak Shahbazi, who had been arrested and tried two years earlier on similar charges, was executed on September 17. Another individual described by authorities as a “trusted and reliable spy” for Israel was executed on September 29.
These executions have raised alarm among human-rights organizations, who have expressed serious concerns about due process, access to independent legal counsel, and the risk of coerced confessions in espionage cases adjudicated by Iran’s Revolutionary Courts. Such courts have long been criticized for lack of transparency and close ties to security agencies. The refusal to disclose the accused individual’s identity, combined with the rapid pace of proceedings and public statements predicting an imminent verdict, has intensified these concerns.
The case also highlights longstanding diplomatic tensions surrounding Iran’s treatment of foreign and dual nationals. Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and treats such detainees solely as Iranian citizens, often limiting foreign consular access. This practice has repeatedly drawn criticism from European governments and international rights organizations, which argue that dual nationals are particularly vulnerable to politically motivated prosecutions. Iran and Sweden have clashed previously over detentions. In June 2024, former Iranian official Hamid Nouri was swapped for Swedish diplomat Johan Floderus and Iranian-Swedish dual national Saeed Azizi. Nouri had been convicted in Swedish courts for his role in overseeing mass executions in Iran in the 1980s.
The arrest of the Iranian-Swedish citizen comes amid statements by Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi, who has ordered judicial authorities to pursue alleged leaders of domestic and foreign groups accused of collaborating with the United States and Israel during the recent conflict. He has instructed security agencies to gather intelligence on such cooperation and report findings to prosecutors, signaling the likelihood of further arrests.