A Frenchman will face trial in Iran after prosecutors confirmed he was charged with espionage.
Benjamin Briere was arrested in May 2020 when Iranian authorities said he was flying a drone and taking photographs in a prohibited area in north-eastern Iran.
Mr Briere is also charged with "propaganda against the system", which can incur a prison sentence of three months to one year.
Mr Briere's lawyer, Said Dehghan, told AFP the investigation was complete and the prosecution had confirmed the charges.
"The prosecutor is preparing the indictment and sending it to the revolutionary court for the continuation of the judicial process," he said.
It's unclear when the trial will be.
In March, Mr Dehghan wrote on Twitter that the propaganda charge related to Mr Briere questioning on social media Iran's mandatory hijab policy.
Mr Briere is being held in the city of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran. He had faced accusations of "corruption on Earth", one of the most serious offences under Iranian law, and drinking alcohol, punishable by flogging, but those charges were dismissed.
Last week, his sister Blandine Briere appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron to secure her brother's release.
In an open letter published by French magazine Le Point, she wrote that the charges were "baseless" and that Mr Briere was a "negotiating tool".
Ms Briere said her brother was a tourist who was thirsty for adventure and discovery.
In March, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry said Mr Briere, born in 1985, was receiving consular support and its embassy in Tehran was in "regular contact".
Arrests of foreigners in Iran – especially dual citizens who are often accused of espionage – have increased since former US president Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed heavy sanctions on Tehran.
Iran has conducted several exchanges of foreign prisoners, including researchers, with countries holding Iranians.
In 2020 Paris and Tehran swapped French researcher Roland Marchal for Iranian engineer Jalal Ruhollahnejad
World powers, including France, have been engaged in negotiations with Iran in Vienna since April to try and revive the nuclear deal.
Iranian diplomats said during the talks that Tehran was open to exchanging prisoners.
Negotiations in the Austrian capital are in their fifth round with no plans for a sixth, Russia's envoy to the talks said.
"The negotiators proceed from the understanding that the current round should be final," Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
