Alireza Akbari, a former top defence official and dual British of the UK, was executed by Iran on Saturday after being found guilty of spying for the UK government, according to the judiciary.
According to the judicial news outlet Mizan Online, Akbari was executed after being found guilty of “corruption on earth and undermining the country’s internal and exterior security through passing on intelligence.”
It said, “In this case, the acts of the British espionage service have demonstrated the worth of the convict, the significance of his access, and the enemy’s confidence in him. Britain has requested that Tehran put an end to an execution that its foreign minister, James Cleverly, described as being “politically motivated.”
The 61-year-old Akbari reportedly held important roles in the nation’s defence apparatus, according to official media on Thursday.
He held the posts of “deputy minister of defence for foreign relations” and “secretary of the Supreme National Security Council,” among other positions.
In addition, Akbari had “headed a division at the research centre of the defence ministry” and served as “an advisor to the commander of the fleet.”
Akbari can be seen in a film released by Iranian media purportedly discussing his interactions with the British government.
Additionally, he claims that the British questioned him about the murder of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in November 2020, which Tehran blames to its longtime enemy Israel.
Veteran of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War, Akbari was arrested between March 2019 and March 2020, according to official media.
This week, Akbari became a “key spy” for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, according to Mizan, who cited a statement from Iran’s intelligence ministry. This was because of “the importance of his position,” according to Mizan.
The official government newspaper Iran published an interview with Akbari in February 2019, describing him as a “former deputy defence minister” from Mohammad Khatami’s 1997–2005 government.
Iran executed four people who had reportedly cooperated with Israeli intelligence
Early in December, Iran executed four people who had reportedly cooperated with Israeli intelligence, according to Mizan. The Supreme Court upheld their execution sentence for “their intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime (Israel) and kidnapping,” according to Mizan, and Iran hanged them four days later.
Iran has been rocked by protests since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was killed on September 16 after being detained for allegedly breaking the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women. Akbari’s execution occurs during this time.
According to a count made by AFP from official statements, Iran’s judiciary has confirmed that 18 people have received death sentences in connection with the protests. Four of them have been put to death, causing outrage on a worldwide scale.
Also Read: Armed struggle against British not given due credit: Amit Shah
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER.
