Sad end of the year for Benjamin Brière.
Incarcerated in the prison of Vakil Abad, in Mashhad, for more than a year and a half, the young French photographer of 36 years began a hunger strike on December 25 to protest against the poor conditions of his detention, including ban on calling his family for Christmas.
"
What is Mashhad's revolutionary tribunal waiting for to review the political accusations against Benjamin Brière, imprisoned for 570 days?"
», Protested his Iranian lawyer, Saïd Dehghan, on Twitter.
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His client's nightmare dates back to May 2020. Benjamin Brière, who has been traveling through Iran in his van since 2018, has the misfortune of taking pictures with a recreational drone in areas considered “
forbidden
” by the authorities.
The latter immediately accuse him of espionage and propaganda against the system.
His lawyer denies, claiming that these were shots in a natural park.
Iran has always been popular with French tourists for the beauty of its landscapes, the richness of its culture and the warm welcome of its people.
An undated photograph of Benjamin Brière, transmitted by his sister Blandine Brière.
BLANDINE BRIERE / REUTERS
Contacted by AFP, his sister, Blandine Brière, denounces "
the mistreatment he has suffered for twenty months
".
"
He sees no change in his situation
", she specifies, deploring a "
hostage taking without reason
".
“
It's completely illegal, we don't know anything.
Benjamin needs more French diplomacy,
”she continues.
“
Regular contacts
” with the Quai d'Orsay
In the past, Tehran has repeatedly used foreign or binational prisoners as bargaining chips in its negotiations and disputes with the West. Arrested in Iran in 2019, French researcher Roland Marchal was finally released in March 2020 after Paris freed Iranian engineer Jalal Rohollahnejad, whose extradition the United States was demanding for violating US sanctions against Iran. On the other hand, his research partner Fariba Adelkhah is still detained in Iran. Incarcerated at the same time as him and of Franco-Iranian nationality, she was sentenced in May 2020 to five years in prison for "
attacking national security
". She has been under house arrest in Tehran since October 2020, after sixteen months spent behind bars.
Like her, at least a dozen binationals are currently behind bars in Iran.
Benjamin Brière is said to be the only Western national imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of which we are aware.
The French Foreign Ministry said Monday to follow his case "
with the greatest attention
" and to have "
regular contacts
" with him under consular protection.
According to the Quai d'Orsay, his last consular visit dates back to December 21 and he was contacted by the French Embassy.
Its fate, however, remains uncertain.