Iran has executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, a report said, after sentencing him to death on charges of spying for Britain.
The report by Iran judiciary’s Mizan news agency comes after British foreign secretary James Cleverly called on Iran to not follow through with the execution of Alireza Akbari, a former Iranian deputy defence minister.
UK described the death sentence as “politically motivated” while noting that “We are supporting the family of Mr Akbari and have repeatedly raised his case with the Iranian authorities. Our priority is securing his immediate release and we have reiterated our request for urgent consular access.”
Akbari has been a dual citizen of Iran and Britain although Iran does not recognise dual nationality for Iranians. Owing to this if dual citizens are detained in Iran, the government does not allow consular access to foreign officials to visit them in detention or attend their trials.
He was once a deputy defence minister in the Iranian government, and a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps
