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News UK Iran executes British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari, says state media Move came after Iran ignored international appeals for clemency
Protesters brave London rain to demonstrate against Iran executions Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
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Your support makes all the difference. Read more Dual British -Iranian national Alireza Akbari has been executed in Iran , according to state media.
Mr Akbari had been accused of spying, an allegation which he denied, and the Iranian Studentsā News Agency confirmed his execution on Saturday.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemed the execution, describing it as ācallous and cowardlyā.
āI am appalled by the execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari in Iran ,ā he wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
āThis was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people. My thoughts are with Alirezaās friends and family.ā
Mr Akbari, who previously worked in Iranian defence, was first arrested in 2019 and accused of espionage for MI6 related to past nuclear talks between Iran and western nations.
On Saturday, Iranian state media said he was āwas sentenced to death on charges of corruption in the land and widespread action against the countryās internal and external security through espionage for the intelligence apparatus of the British government.ā
British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, calIed for the immediate release Mr Akbari this week.
āThis is a politically motivated act by a barbaric regime that has total disregard for human life,ā he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
On Saturday, the foreign secretary said: āThe execution of British-Iranian Alireza Akbari is a barbaric act that deserves condemnation in the strongest possible terms.
āThrough this politically motivated act, the Iranian regime has once again shown its callous disregard for human life.
āThis will not stand unchallenged and we will be summoning the Iranian Charge dāAffaires to make clear our disgust at Iranās actions. Our thoughts are with Mr Akbariās family,ā he concluded.
Mr Akbari, pictured speaking in an interview, Iran, has been executed after being convicted of spying for Britain, media reported on Saturday. (KhabarOnline News Agency via AP, File) (AP) Earlier this week, the family of Mr Akbari said they had been asked to go to his prison for a āfinal visitā and that he had been moved to solitary confinement.
There was no immediate reaction from them following his execution.
Iranian state media previously aired a highly edited video of Mr Akbari discussing the allegations resembling others that activists have described as coerced confessions.
During the video, he was asked about the assassination of Iranās top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was shot dead in 2020.
āThey wanted to know about high-ranking officials depending on the major developments ... for example he (the British agent) asked me whether Fakhrizadeh could be involved in such and such projects and I said why not,ā Mr Akbari said in the clip.
Iran has been rocked in recent months by anti-government protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for allegedly breaking the country's strict dress code.
She collapsed at a detention centre and died three days later in hospital and in recent weeks, Iranian authorities have executed a number of the alleged protesters, such as a karate champion and a volunteer childrenās coach.
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