The Iranian authorities’ decision to execute Iranian ex-deputy defense minister Alireza Akbari is a callous act and speaks of disrespect for human rights, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on his Twitter page, Report informs.
“I am appalled by the execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari in Iran. This 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 Alireza’s friends and family,” Sunak tweeted.
Iranian authorities accused Akbari of spying for MI6. He served as deputy defense minister in 2000-2008. He was arrested in 2019. He himself said that he was tortured for 10 months and forced on camera to confess to crimes that he didn’t commit.
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Iran has executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Saturday, after sentencing him to death on charges of spying for Britain, Report informs via Reuters.
The British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said on Friday that Iran must not follow through with the execution of Akbari, a former Iranian deputy defense minister.
Britain had described the death sentence as politically motivated and called for his immediate release.