Iran executes British-Iranian national, UK condemns 'barbaric' act - Reuters.com

DUBAI/LONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Iran has executed a British-Iranian nationalist who erstwhile served arsenic its lawman defence minister, its judiciary said connected Saturday, defying calls from London for his merchandise aft helium was handed the decease condemnation connected charges of spying for Britain.

Britain, which had declared the lawsuit against Alireza Akbari, 61, arsenic politically motivated and called for his release, condemned the execution.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it "a callous and cowardly enactment carried retired by a barbaric authorities with nary respect for the quality rights of their ain people".

The Iranian judiciary's Mizan quality bureau reported the execution aboriginal connected Saturday, without saying erstwhile it had taken place. Late connected Friday, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had said Iran indispensable not travel done with the condemnation - a telephone echoed by Washington.

The execution looks acceptable to heap much unit connected Iran's agelong strained ties with the West which person deteriorated further since talks to revive its 2015 atomic woody deed deadlock and arsenic Tehran unleashed a deadly crackdown connected protesters past year.

In an audio signaling purportedly from Akbari and broadcast by BBC Persian connected Wednesday, helium said helium had confessed to crimes helium had not committed aft extended torture.

"Alireza Akbari, who was sentenced to decease connected charges of corruption connected world and extended enactment against the country’s interior and outer information done espionage for the British government's quality work ... was executed," Mizan said.

The Mizan study accused Akbari, arrested successful 2019, of receiving payments of 1,805,000 euros, 265,000 pounds, and $50,000 for spying.

Sunak said connected Twitter helium was "appalled by the execution". Cleverly said successful a connection it would "not basal unchallenged". "We volition beryllium summoning the Iranian Charge d’Affaires to marque wide our disgust astatine Iran’s actions."

British statements connected the lawsuit person not addressed the Iranian complaint that Akbari - who was arrested successful 2019 - spied for Britain.

Iranian authorities media broadcast a video connected Thursday that they said showed that Akbari played a relation successful the 2020 assassination of Iran's apical atomic scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed successful a 2020 onslaught extracurricular Tehran which authorities blamed astatine the clip connected Israel.

In the video, Akbari did not confess to engagement successful the assassination but said a British cause had asked for accusation astir Fakhrizadeh.

Iran’s authorities media often airs purported confessions by suspects successful politically charged cases.

Reuters could not found the authenticity of the authorities media video and audio, oregon erstwhile oregon wherever they were recorded.

Akbari was a adjacent state of Ali Shamkhani, present the caput of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who was defence curate from 1997 to 2005, erstwhile Akbari was his lawman arsenic portion of the medication of reformist President Mohammad Khatami.

'3,500 HOURS OF TORTURE'

Reflecting Iran's worsening ties with the West, London-Tehran relations person deteriorated successful caller months arsenic efforts person stalled to revive the atomic pact, to which Britain is simply a party.

Britain has besides been captious of the Islamic Republic's crackdown connected anti-government protests, sparked by the decease successful custody of a young Iranian-Kurdish pistillate successful September.

Iran has issued dozens of decease sentences arsenic portion of the crackdown, executing astatine slightest 4 people.

A British overseas bureau curate said connected Thursday that Britain was actively considering proscribing Iran's Revolutionary Guard arsenic a violent organisation but has not reached a last decision.

In the audio signaling broadcast by BBC Persian, Akbari said helium had made mendacious confessions arsenic a effect of torture.

"With much than 3,500 hours of torture, psychedelic drugs, and physiological and intelligence unit methods, they took distant my will. They drove maine to the brink of madness... and forced maine to marque mendacious confessions by unit of arms and decease threats," helium said.

An Iranian authorities TV study broadcast connected Saturday said the quality ministry had him nether surveillance and arrested him successful 1998. He was arrested connected espionage charges again successful 2008 earlier being freed connected bail and leaving the country, it said.

Reuters could not independently verify the details.

Reporting by Dubai newsroom and Michael Holden successful London; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by William Mallard and Angus MacSwan

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