Iran executes British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari for 'spying' for UK

Iran has executed the dual British-Iranian citizen and an ex-Iranian defense ministry official, Alireza Akbari, on January 14, Saturday, Iranian judiciary-affiliated agency Mizan reported. The Iranian regime announced the death sentence of Akbari just days ago. The United States and the British government had strengthened the calls for the Iranian government not to proceed with the execution and to immediately release [Alireza] Akbari.

The latter was detained “some time ago” for “spying against this country," for the UK, the Iranian agency said. Akbari reportedly served under Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, a reformist who was in office from 1997 to 2005. The ex-deputy defence minister under former president Khatami was allegedly the "key spy" for the British government, Tehran's Tasnim news agency reported. Iranian intelligence described Akbari as the MI6 spy, who, they said in an intel was "one of the most important infiltrators of the country's sensitive and strategic centres".

“On this basis and after filing an indictment against the accused, the file was referred to court, and hearings were held in the presence of the accused’s lawyer and based on the valid documents in this person’s file, he was sentenced to death for spying for the UK," Iran's Mizan noted. 

Forced to confess to crimes

Akbari had earlier claimed that he was tortured in Iranian captivity and was given mind-altering drugs. He alleged that the Iranian regime had forced him to confess to crimes that he had not committed. Iranian judiciary-affiliated outlet tweeted that Akbari was hanged by the Iranian authorities on January 14. It did not mention the location and time when the execution took place. Rumours also spread that the former Iranian official may have been executed days ago. Although such claims could not be independently verified by Republic. Akbari, days ago, was shifted to solitary confinement from the regular prison. UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in an earlier statement, had urged the Iranian government not to execute the ex-official. 

"Iran must halt the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari and immediately release him. This is a politically motivated act by a barbaric regime that has total disregard for human life," Cleverly had tweeted. 

Britain's Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chair Alicia Kearns had also condemned Iran's execution, saying that the Islamic Republic regime was attempting to silence the dissent voices to curb the anti-government protests and avoid more sanctions. "It is another horrifying example of the Iranian regime because they feel they are cornered because there is such significant pressure from sanctions, weaponising British nationals, and industrializing hostage-taking," the British minister told BBC Radio 4. 

US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel also called on Iran to stop the death sentence of Akbari. "The charges against Alireza Akbari and his sentencing to execution were politically motivated. His execution would be unconscionable," Patel noted. "We are greatly disturbed by the reports that Akbari was drugged, tortured while in custody, interrogated for thousands of hours, and forced to make false confessions." Furthermore, she continued, that Iran's practices of arbitrary and unjust detentions, forced confessions, and politically motivated executions "are completely unacceptable and must end."