He had stopped eating to protest his imprisonment and charges “absurd”. Without succeeding in influencing Iranian justice. Benjamin Brière, 36, was sentenced to eight years in prison for “spying” by an Iranian revolutionary court, his lawyer, Me Philippe Valent, announced on Tuesday.
The Frenchman was also sentenced to an additional eight months in prison for “propaganda” against the Iranian regime, specifies Me Philippe Valent. He is the only known Westerner detained in Iran who does not have an Iranian passport. “This condemnation, which nothing can support, is unacceptable”, reacted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Appeal of decision
Benjamin Brière, who always presented himself as a tourist, had been arrested for having taken “photographs of prohibited areas” with a hobby drone in a natural park in Iran. He is being held in Valikabad prison, in Mashhad (north-east).
“Benjamin Brière has always vigorously denied the absurdity of the accusations against him, he is neither a spy nor a threat to Iranian internal security and never has been”, assured Me Valent, adding that his client hoped “a declaration of innocence and repatriation to France in order to be able to rebuild, physically and psychologically”. He decided to appeal.
Iran is holding more than a dozen Western passport holders, mostly dual nationals, in what NGOs condemn as a hostage-taking policy designed to extract concessions from foreign powers.
Updated at 5:45 p.m. with the intention of appealing and the reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs