Iran executed a former deputy Iranian defense minister, who was a British-Iranian, on charges of spying for British intelligence, the first execution of a prominent official in more than a decade in a clear sign of deteriorating relations with the West. marked the
Alireza Akbari, a 61-year-old British-Iranian dual citizen, was executed for spying on behalf of the UK, an allegation he has always denied since being arrested in Iran in 2019.
Mizan, the judiciary’s official news outlet, said Akbari was accused of “damaging the country’s internal and external security by providing intelligence”.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the execution “a despicable and cowardly act by a barbaric regime”.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement that Akbari’s death “will not go unchallenged”, which prompted Persian officials to summon the British ambassador to Tehran.
BBC Farsi aired an audio message from Akbari earlier this week in which the prisoner said he was tortured and forced to confess on camera to crimes he did not commit – something human rights NGO Amnesty The International is now urging London to investigate.
Akbari’s wife Maryam Samadi said over the phone that she was “just in shock”. interview with The New York Times on Friday. “We don’t see any reason or indication for the allegations,” she said. “We could never have imagined this, and I don’t understand the politics behind it.”
Britain’s Foreign Office is now exploring the possibility of granting asylum to Akbari’s family, who are considered at risk, but this is proving difficult, as the country does not recognize dual nationalities for its citizens.