Iran jails two Swedes to 3 years

Court has sentenced two Swedes to three years in prison each for photographing military installations, Iran's Justice Minister said Tuesday.

Photo: Iran jails two Swedes to 3 years

Minister Jamal Karimirad did not provide further details when he spoke to reporters about the case.

According to Swedish media, the two men, who are both in their 30s, were convicted of photographing military buildings and telecommunications equipment on Qeshm, an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) south of the capital Tehran.

The Swedish news agency TT reported that the men were working as construction workers in Iran when they allegedly took the photographs.

They appeared in court on April 22 in Bandar Abbas, a city on the mainland immediately north of Qeshm island, TT reported.

Last month, Iran said it would retry a case of a Frenchman sentenced to 18 months in prison for taking photos of ships in the Gulf.

Stephane Marc Lherbier was arrested in November with a German companion after their yacht strayed into Iranian waters during a sailing trip off the coast of neighboring United Arab Emirates. It is not known what happened to the German, reports the AP.

I.L.