An Iranian court has sentenced U.S. dual national to 10 years in jail on spying charges, Iran's Judiciary spokesman said on Sunday.

The spokesman did not name the person or give details on when the sentence was passed but said the person was a citizen of the United States.

"This person, who was gathering information and was directly guided by America, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but the sentence can be appealed," spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on state television.

Several Iranian dual nationals from the United States, Britain, Austria, Canada and France have been detained in the past year and are being kept behind bars on charges including espionage and collaborating with hostile governments.

source: xinhua