Iran says Swiss national held on espionage charges kills himself in prison

A Swiss national detained in Iran on espionage charges has killed himself at a prison in rural Semnan province. That's according to a state media report Thursday. The report by the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency did not identify the man, only saying the man had asked his cellmate to bring him food and then killed himself while he was alone. Attempts to resuscitate the man reportedly failed. Semnan prison is some 180 kilometers east of Tehran, Iran’s capital. Swiss authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Switzerland has served as the protecting power for the United States since it ended its diplomatic relations with Iran in the wake of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis.