THE execution of an Iranian-British citizen by Iran’s government on charges of spying for Britain’s foreign intelligence service MI6 was roundly condemned today.

Alireza Akbar, Iran’s deputy minister for defence from 1997 to 2002, was hanged by the Iranian government after he was accused of spying, Iranian state media said. 

He was accused of working with British spies and receiving cash and other benefits from MI6 including a British passport, Iranian state media, the Tasnim news agency, said.

Mr Akbar is alleged to have given information about 178 officials in Iran to British spies including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a nuclear scientist who was assassinated in Iran in 2020. 

The indictment, published by Tamsin, said the former deputy defence minister acted “against national security” and was “spying for Britain” for a long time. 

It said he held meetings with MI6 agents in various countries which caused “major disruptions in the country’s general order.”

British politicians, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Labour’s David Lammy, have joined Amnesty International in condemning the execution of the Iranian-British citizen.

Amnesty International UK’s Freshta Sharif said: “This is absolutely terrible news and once again shows how pitifully-little respect the Iranian authorities have for the right to life.
 
“Alireza Akbari’s fate is particularly horrific given the human rights abuses he reportedly suffered in detention, including torture, being held in prolonged solitary confinement and being forced to repeatedly make false confessions.

“Alireza was convicted of the supposed crime of ‘spreading corruption on Earth,’ which we’ve repeatedly condemned as  falling far short of international legal standards.”

Shadow foreign secretary Mr Lammy said: “Labour condemns the atrocious, cowardly and authoritarian execution of Alireza Akbari by the Iranian regime in the strongest possible terms.

“Our thoughts are with his family at this time of immense grief.

“The Iranian regime must be held accountable for its flagrant breaches of human rights and international law. 

“All state-sanctioned death sentences must be immediately quashed.” 

The British government has recalled its ambassador from Tehran while sanctioning Iran’s prosecutor general.

Mr Akbari had moved to Britain on an investment visa and become a naturalised citizen but went back to Tehran following a request from his former boss, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Shamkhani. 

He was arrested in 2019 and convicted of spying for Britain.