Iran sentences 2 Swedes to prison terms over drugs

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has sentenced two Swedish citizens to multiyear prison terms on charges of drug smuggling, the latest in a string of cases heightening tensions between the Islamic Republic and the Nordic nation. Iran’s judiciary on Tuesday handed down a five-year sentence and a roughly $34,000 fine to Swede Simon Kasper Brown for allegedly trafficking 9.7 kilograms (about 22 pounds) of the banned pain medication Tramadol. Tehran also sentenced Swedish citizen Stephen Kevin Gilbert to eight years in prison and ordered he pay a $500 fine. The cases come amid a controversial quest in Sweden to hold accountable a former Iranian official accused of committing atrocities.