French tourist jailed in Iran goes on hunger strike

An undated handout photo of Benjamin Briere, a French tourist jailed in Iran on spying charges since spring 2020, who began a hunger strike, as his lawyer and his sister Blandine Briere said in a statement on Monday, released on December 27, 2021. Courtesy of Blandine Briere/Handout via REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) -Benjamin Briere, a French tourist jailed in Iran on spying charges since spring 2020, has begun a hunger strike, his lawyer and sister said in a statement on Monday.

French authorities remain in close contact with Briere, visiting him on Dec. 21 and contacting him on Monday, a French foreign ministry spokesperson said.