Iran executes British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari over spying: Report

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.

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Britain described the death sentence as “politically motivated” as a statement said, “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.”

Alireza 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.

Alireza Akbari was once a deputy defence minister in the Iranian government, and a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Seen as a moderate figure in the 2000s, Alireza Akbari worked with UN observers when he helped in implementing a 1988 cease-fire between Iran and Iraq.

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Alireza Akbari had been deputy defence minister under Mohammad Khatami, the president of Iran from 1997 to 2005, Guardian reported. Then he had advocates for the Iran nuclear deal which was eventually signed in 2015.

Alireza Akbari then settled in UK after stepping down from his position. Not seen in public, Alireza Akbari ran a private think tank but was later arrested. The grounds for his arrest were cited as meetings with some British government officials over the years, BBC reported.

“Ten or 12 years ago he had formal consultations with British officials and within the scope of his mission. He was not a spy, but the intelligence officials misinterpret a meeting with a university admissions officer, or an estate agent as a meeting with an agent," his wife told The Guardian.