DUBAI (Reuters) - 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, at a time of heightened tension between Tehran and the West. "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. Last month, France's foreign ministry confirmed that a French citizen was being held in Iran and said it was monitoring the situation. Rights activists have accused Iran of arresting dual nationals and foreigners to try to win concessions from other countries. Tehran denies it holds people for political reasons and has accused many of the foreigners in its jails of espionage.

Source: The Star March 14, 2021 16:49 UTC