The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the Iranian government has detained a German citizen about 40 days ago.

In response to an inquiry by Radio Farda, the ministry said the Islamic Republic has arrested the 66-year-old tourist more than a month ago over accusations of "taking pictures of prohibited areas".

According to information obtained by Radio Farda, he had travelled to different cities across Iran, including Tehran and Tabriz, by a motorcycle.

The German national was arrested more than 40 days ago, and spent about half of it in solitary confinement. He is now imprisoned in the general ward of Aran-o-Bidgol prison near Kashan in the central Esfahan (Isfahan) prison.

The German authorities were informed of his arrest after his daily communication with his family was cut off on social media networks, and with the follow-up of the family through the German embassy, it was found that he was arrested in Aran-o-Bidgol, a tourist destination at the edge of Iran’s central desert.

The German Foreign Ministry did not mention the reason for his trip to Iran, or the exact time of his arrest, but it confirmed that Germany has consular access to this imprisoned citizen.

The spokesman of the German Foreign Ministry emphasized that he could not disclose more details in this regard, and Iran's judicial and security authorities have not yet announced the arrest of the German citizen.

At least four German citizens are jailed in Iran, including Nahid Taghavi and Jamshid Sharmahd. Taghavi, 67, a German-Iranian rights activist is imprisoned since October 2020 and is sentenced to 10 years, while, Sharmahd, 66, is kept in isolation at a secret location since he was snatched by Iranian agents while travelling to India in August 2020. Sharmahd is accused of involvement in a 2008 mosque bombing in Iran that killed 14 people.