Iran hangs former defence ministry official for spying for UK - Al Jazeera English

Akbari was a erstwhile lawman defence minister, who Iran alleges shared accusation connected elder officials.

Tehran, Iran – Iran has executed a erstwhile lawman defence curate connected allegations of spying for the United Kingdom.

The judiciary’s authoritative quality outlet confirmed connected Saturday greeting that Alireza Akbari, a British-Iranian dual national, was hanged aft being convicted of “corruption connected Earth” and acting against nationalist information by spying for British intelligence.

It added that Akbari was earlier sentenced to decease for “harming the country’s interior and outer information by passing connected intelligence”.

“The actions of the British spy work successful this lawsuit person shown the worth of the convict, the value of his entree and the enemy’s spot successful him,” it added.

It claimed helium had received grooming from the MI-6, established ammunition companies to thwart Iranian quality services, had quality meetings successful assorted countries, including Austria and the UAE, and received British citizenship arsenic a reward for “betraying” his country.

British Foreign Minister James Cleverly had antecedently called for a halt to Akbari’s execution, saying “this is simply a politically motivated enactment by a barbaric authorities that has full disregard for quality life”. The United States had besides called for stopping the execution.

Akbari was alleged to person passed connected accusation astir dozens of elder Iranian officials, including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a apical atomic idiosyncratic assassinated successful a municipality adjacent Tehran successful 2020. Iran blamed the onslaught connected Israel.

According to the Iranian judiciary, Akbari began moving with British quality successful 2004 for 5 years earlier leaving the country. In 2009, helium was allegedly advised by the UK to permission Iran.

Akbari past allegedly re-entered Iran respective years aboriginal to proceed his activities, and was yet arrested.

The judiciary did not denote the day of his apprehension but helium was reportedly taken into custody successful 2019.

Earlier this week, the state-run IRNA quality bureau released a video purporting to amusement “confessions” by Akbari, who is said to person been a adjacent state of Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s existent information main and defence curate from 1997 to 2005, erstwhile Akbari was his deputy.

Akbari’s household had told British media helium was guiltless and had fallen unfortunate to “political games” successful Iran.