Iran executes former deputy defence minister for spying for UK
Iran executes former deputy defence minister for threatening the country’s internal and external security by spying for the United Kingdom
Iran executes former deputy defence minister for threatening the country’s internal and external security by spying for the United Kingdom.
Alireza Akbari, a dual citizen of Britain and Iran, was hanged on Saturday morning following his conviction for “corruption on Earth” and interfering with national security by spying for British intelligence, according to the judiciary’s official news agency.
It further stated that Akbari had already received a death sentence for “damaging the nation’s internal and external security through disclosing intelligence.”
“The actions of the British spy service, in this case, have shown the value of the convict, the importance of his access, and the enemy’s trust in him,” it added.
It was asserted that he had been trained by MI-6, had set up front firms to impede Iranian intelligence services, attended intelligence gatherings in a number of nations, including Austria and the UAE, and had been granted British citizenship as payment for “betraying” his nation.
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In a prior plea for a halt to Akbari’s execution, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly argued that “this is a politically driven act by a brutal dictatorship that has total disdain for human life.” The execution had been halted on calls from the US as well.
Akbari was alleged to have passed on information about dozens of senior Iranian officials, including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top nuclear scientist assassinated in a town near Tehran in 2020. Iran blamed the attack on Israel.
According to the Iranian judiciary, Akbari began working with British intelligence in 2004 for five years before leaving the country. In 2009, he was allegedly advised by the UK to leave Iran.
Akbari then allegedly re-entered Iran several years later to continue his activities and was ultimately arrested.
The judiciary did not announce the date of his arrest but he was reportedly taken into custody in 2019.
Earlier this week, the state-run IRNA news agency released a video purporting to show “confessions” by Akbari, who is said to have been a close ally of Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s current security chief and defence minister from 1997 to 2005, when Akbari was his deputy.
Akbari’s family had told British media he was innocent and had fallen victim to “political games” in Iran.
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