CNN
—
Alireza Akbari, a dual British-Iranian citizen and former senior Iranian official, was sentenced to death in Iran on charges of spying for Britain, according to Iranian justice news agency Mizan on Wednesday.
Akbari previously served as Iran’s undersecretary of defense According to the Iranian reformist media Shargh Daily, he was the director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and was also a member of the military organization that implemented the UN resolution that ended the Iran-Iraq war.
According to the complaint in Mizan, Akbari “was arrested some time ago for espionage against this country. Based on this, after filing an indictment against the accused, the file was referred to the court and the accused’s A trial was held before a lawyer, and on the basis of the valid documents in this person’s file, he was sentenced to death as a British spy.”
The British government has called on Iran to halt executions and release Akbari. The BBC reports that Akbari was arrested in 2019 and from 1997 he worked under President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, a reformist who held office until 2005.
According to Mizan, Akbari appealed the decision and Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence after reviewing the case. The outlet is an undercover agent with the British secret intelligence agency MI6, with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence alleging that Akbari “gathered vital national intelligence and provided it in a well-informed and informed manner.” He claims to have confirmed that
“This spy was in the process of obtaining a visa from the British Embassy by the intelligence agency stationed there,” Mizan said.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley called for the execution to be stopped. “Iran must stop the execution of Anglo-Iranian Alireza Akbari and release him immediately. This is a politically motivated act by a barbaric regime with complete disregard for human life,” he tweeted.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office told CNN it was supporting Akbari’s family. Our priority is to secure his immediate release, and we have reiterated our request for urgent consular access. ”
The Islamic Republic of Iran has long ranked among the world’s top executioners.
Human rights group Amnesty International reported in May 2022 that the regime had executed 314 people in 2021, 20 percent more than the previous year. Many were involved in drug-related crimes.
Last weekend, Iran executed two protesters accused of killing security personnel, sparking international outcry. Critics said the execution was the result of a hasty sham trial.
