Iran preparing to execute Alireza Akbari for spying, says family

Iranian authorities would soon be executing, Alireza Akbari, said one of his family members, reported BBC. Alireza Akbari and his family have dual nationality of Britain and Iran. The family of Akbari has been asked to visit him one last time in the prison and he had been moved to solitary confinement, said his wife, Maryam. An audio message has been broadcasted in which Alireza Akbari said that he has been tortured and forced to make a confession on camera that he has not committed, reported BBC Persian on Wednesday. 

The Iranian authorities have accused him of obtaining confidential information from the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, "in exchange for a bottle of perfume and a shirt". He has been living in abroad and had visited  Iran at the request of a top Iranian diplomat who was involved in nuclear talks with world powers, said Akbari in the audio message. He served under Shamkhani, who is a former defense minister, during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami in 1997 and 2005.

Akbari accuses Iran Authorities

In the audio message, Akbari shared that he has not only been interrogated but also tortured for more than 3500 hours. 

"During all those 3,500 hours, which took more than 10 months, they were recording my confessions with 10 cameras to make their Hollywood-style film," said Alireza Akbari in the message, reported BBC. 

Further, he added, he has been also given "psychedelic drugs". They broke his will and drove him to madness by using physiological and psychological methods. They compelled him to do whatever they wanted, said Akbari in a distressed tone. While talking about the torturous period of ten months, he said, " By the force of gun and death threats they made me confess to false and corrupt claims." By executing him, the Iranian authorities are taking revenge from the UK, claimed the British-Iranian Akbari. 

On the other hand the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly said, “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,” reported The Guardian.