Alireza Akbari: Iran executes British-Iranian dual national - BBC

British-Iranian dual nationalist Alireza Akbari, who was sentenced to decease successful Iran, has been executed.

Mr Akbari's household had been asked to spell to his situation for a "final visit" connected Wednesday and his woman said helium had been moved to solitary confinement.

The ex-deputy Iranian defence curate was arrested successful 2019 and convicted of spying for the UK, which helium denied.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the execution was a "callous and cowardly act, carried retired by a barbaric regime".

Iran's rulers had "no respect for the quality rights of their ain people" Mr Sunak said, adding that his thoughts were "with Alireza's friends and family".

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the execution would "not basal unchallenged".

The Iranian judiciary's authoritative quality outlet Mizan reported connected Saturday that Alireza Akbari had been hanged, without specifying the day erstwhile the execution took place.

The quality came aft Iran posted a video of Mr Akbari earlier this week showing what appeared to beryllium forced confessions, and aft the country's quality ministry had described the British-Iranian arsenic "one of the astir important agents of the British quality work successful Iran".

However BBC Persian broadcast an audio connection connected Wednesday from Mr Akbari successful which helium said helium had been tortured and forced to confess connected camera to crimes helium did not commit.

The United States had besides joined calls for Iran not to execute Mr Akbari. US diplomat Vedant Patel said "his execution would beryllium unconscionable" and condemned the charges against him arsenic "politically motivated".

The UK Foreign Office has ben supporting Mr Akbari's household and had repeatedly raised his lawsuit with Iranian authorities. It had requested urgent consular access, but Iran's authorities does not recognise dual nationality for Iranians.

In Mr Akbari's audio connection helium said that helium was surviving overseas a fewer years agone erstwhile helium was invited to sojourn Iran astatine the petition of a apical Iranian diplomat who was progressive successful atomic talks with satellite powers.

Once there, helium adds, helium was accused of obtaining apical concealed quality from the caput of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, "in speech for a vessel of perfume and a shirt".

Mr Akbari alleged that helium was "interrogated and tortured" by quality agents "for much than 3,500 hours".

"By utilizing physiological and intelligence methods, they broke my will, drove maine to madness and forced maine to bash immoderate they wanted," helium said. "By the unit of weapon and decease threats they made maine confess to mendacious and corrupt claims."

He besides accused Iran of seeking "to instrumentality revenge connected the UK by executing me".

Hours aft the audio connection was broadcast, the Mizan quality bureau confirmed for the archetypal clip that Mr Akbari had been recovered blameworthy of espionage, and that the Supreme Court had rejected his appeal.

Ties betwixt the UK and Iran person deteriorated successful caller months since the UK imposed sanctions connected Iran's morality constabulary and different apical information figures, successful effect to the country's convulsive crackdown connected anti-government protesters.

Iran has arrested dozens of Iranians with dual nationality oregon overseas imperishable residency successful caller years, mostly connected spying and nationalist information charges.

British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released and allowed to permission Iran past twelvemonth aft the UK settled a longstanding indebtedness owed to Iran.

However, astatine slightest 2 different British-Iranians stay successful detention, including Morad Tahbaz, who besides holds US citizenship.