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Jailed French Tourist to Appear in Iran Court on Thursday on Spying Charges

A woman holds a photo of Benjamin Briere during a rally in Paris, France, on January 8, 2022. (AP)
A woman holds a photo of Benjamin Briere during a rally in Paris, France, on January 8, 2022. (AP)
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Jailed French Tourist to Appear in Iran Court on Thursday on Spying Charges

A woman holds a photo of Benjamin Briere during a rally in Paris, France, on January 8, 2022. (AP)
A woman holds a photo of Benjamin Briere during a rally in Paris, France, on January 8, 2022. (AP)

A jailed French tourist in Iran, Benjamin Briere, will appear before a Revolutionary Court on Thursday on spying charges, his Iranian lawyer told Reuters on Wednesday.

"Benjamin will attend the court to be tried for spying and acting against national security charges," one of his lawyers Saeid Dehghan said.

Briere has been held since May 2020, when he was arrested after flying a helicam - a remote-controlled mini helicopter used to obtain aerial or motion images - in the desert near the Turkmenistan-Iran border. He was charged with espionage and propaganda against Iran.

His trial comes as the United States and parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal including France are trying to restore the pact, which was abandoned in 2018 by then-US president Donald Trump.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, mostly on espionage charges.

Rights activists have accused Iran of arresting dual citizens and foreigners to try to win concessions from other countries. Tehran denies holding people for political reasons.

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UN COP16 Nature Summit Creates Permanent Body for Indigenous Peoples

FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
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UN COP16 Nature Summit Creates Permanent Body for Indigenous Peoples

FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Brazilian indigenous woman wears a feather headdress, during a press conference at the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), in Yumbo, Colombia October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

Countries at the UN COP16 summit on nature on Friday approved a measure to create a permanent body for Indigenous peoples to consult on United Nations decisions about nature conservation.
The consultative body is considered a breakthrough in recognizing the role that Indigenous peoples play in conserving nature globally, including some of the most biodiverse areas of the planet, according to Indigenous and environmental advocates, reported Reuters.
Nearly 200 countries convened in the Columbian city of Cali aiming to implement the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement, which aims to halt the rapid decline of nature by 2030.
The consultative body, which will also extend to local communities, will help to incorporate traditional knowledge and practices into conservation efforts.
Countries also adopted a measure that recognizes the role of people of African descent in caring for nature, which COP16 host Colombia said would grant such communities easier access to resources to fund their biodiversity projects and participate in global environmental discussions.
The measure's adoption was met with chants and singing by campaigners, as well as words of thanks from Colombia Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, who said the breakthrough was particularly important for Latin America and the Caribbean.
"Our territories, which cover much of the natural wealth of the planet, have also been home to people of African descent and Indigenous peoples whose sustainable practices are needed to face the environmental challenges that we all share today," Murillo said.
Earlier in the week, Armenia was announced as the host of COP17, which will be held in 2026.