Iran: Information about the execution of Alireza Akbari on the charge of spying for Britain

The execution of Alireza Akbari, who had been sentenced to death for spying for Britain, was allegedly carried out by the Iranaccording to the Mizan Judiciary News Agency.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said yesterday that Iran should not proceed with the execution of Akbari, a former senior Iranian defense official. THE Britain emphasized that his death sentence was politically motivated and called for his immediate release.

“Alireza Akbari, who was sentenced to death on the charges of corruption in the land and extensive actions against the internal and external security of the country by spying for the intelligence services of the British government… has been executed”Mizan agency reported via Twitter.

Akbari, 61, accused of receiving 1,805,000 euros, 265,000 pounds and 50,000 dollars for espionage.

In statements of which an audio excerpt was broadcast on Wednesday by the BBC Farsi service (BBC Persian), Akbari stated that he confessed to crimes he did not commit after constant torture. Iranian state media on Thursday aired a video they said showed Akbari played a role in the 2020 assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was killed in an attack outside Tehran that authorities at the time blamed Israel.

In the video, Akbari did not confess his involvement in the assassination but stated that a British agent who requested information about Fakhrizadeh. Iranian state media often publicize confessions of suspects in politically charged cases.

Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the video and audio, or when or where they were filmed.

Relations between London and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, with Britain among its signatories, have stalled.