ritish-Iranian twin nationwide Alireza Akbari has been executed by Iran on prices of spying for the UK.
Mr Akbari was a former deputy defence minister underneath former president Mohammad Khatami and was arrested in 2019 after being accused of feeding data to the British authorities – a cost which he denied.
An announcement from the Iranian Mizan information company mentioned: “Alireza Akbari, who was sentenced to dying on prices of corruption on earth and intensive motion towards the nation’s inside and exterior safety via espionage for the British authorities’s intelligence service was executed.”
Following the information, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemmed the “callous and cowardly act” by the Iranian regime.
He mentioned: “I’m appalled by the execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari in Iran.
“This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their very own individuals. My ideas are with Alireza’s family and friends.”
Earlier this week, International Secretary James Cleverly had referred to as for Mr Akbari’s launch, claiming his execution was a “politically motivated act”.
Mr Akbari been accused by the Iranian state of being an MI6 spy who performed a task within the assasination of Iran’s prime nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020.
He denied the cost and mentioned he was tortured and compelled to admit on digicam to crimes he didn’t commit, BBC Persian reported.
Iran’s intelligence ministry mentioned he had been “some of the necessary agent of the British intelligence service in Iran”.
Earlier this week, Mr Akbari’s spouse Maryam informed BBC Persian she was invited to a “closing assembly” on the jail the place he was put in solitary confinement.
Commons International Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns beforehand accused the Iranians of looking for to “weaponise” twin nationals as anti-government protests convulse the nation.
“It’s one other horrifying instance of the Iranian regime – as a result of they really feel they’re cornered, as a result of there may be such important stress from sanctions – weaponising British nationals and industrialising hostage-taking,” she informed BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.
She mentioned Mr Akbari could have been singled out by the regime due to his closeness to a number one Iranian average who has led requires dialogue and dialogue.
Tehran has detained a variety of twin and international nationals in recent times, together with British-Iranian nationwide Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held in 2016 and launched final yr.
