Alireza Akbari, Iran’s former deputy defence minister, speaks during an interview with Khabaronline in Tehran, Iran, in this undated picture obtained on January 12, 2023. Khabaronline/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/Files
British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari was hanged by Iran on charges of espionage and corruption, the Iranian judiciary-affiliated Mizan news outlet announced on January 14.
The outlet said that the former Iranian official was executed for crimes including “corruption on earth,” without specifying the date when the execution took place. He was charged with working as a spy for MI6, the British intelligence agency, and reportedly paid more than $2 million in various currencies.
Akbari was considered close to Ali Shamkhani, who appointed him Deputy Minister of Defence when he was Defense Minister between 1997 and 2005. After leaving office, Akbari moved to the United Kingdom where he became a British–Iranian dual national. According to the BBC, he was arrested in 2019 on a visit to Iran.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he was “appalled by the execution” of Akbari and accused Iran of violating human rights.
“This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people,” the PM said on Twitter. “My thoughts are with Alireza’s friends and family.”
From his side, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said that Britain had imposed sanctions on Iran’s Prosecutor General. In response, Iran summoned the British ambassador to Tehran, citing Britain’s “unconventional interventions”.
Earlier this week, on January 12, the Iranian state TV aired a video arguing that Akbari played a role in the assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in a 2020 attack outside Tehran. Akbari did not confess to being directly involved in the plot, but said a British agent had asked for information about him.
Later, the BBC released a reported recording of Akbari’s telephone call to his family from prison alleging that he was put under pressure, was under the influence of drugs, and that he was made to make a forced confession.
Fakhrizadeh was only one of about 178 Iranian figures Akbari collected information on, according to ran’s Islamic Republic News Agency. He allegedly carried out his intelligence work through the veneer of a private company focused on research and trade activities, working directly with research institutes in London with alleged links to the MI6.
The official news agency reported that Akbari had regular meetings with an MI6 intelligence officer and former British Ambassador to Iran Richard Dalton.
Akbari’s death sentence was announced just days ago, on January 11, after his conviction on spying for the UK. Akbari and his family had denied the charges.
The execution of an individual holding British citizenship will likely further fuel tensions between Tehran and the West. The United States and France have already joined the UK in condemning the execution of Akbari.
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