Iran’s Supreme Court has sentenced Alireza Akbari, who also holds a British passport, to death after he was charged with espionage and working for MI6, the UK’s intelligence service.
Considered by Tehran as one of the «most important agents» of MI6 and a «master of espionage», Akbari was deputy defense minister during the mandate of former Iranian President Mohammad Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005).
The Iranian authorities have accused Akbari of having knowingly provided important Iranian information to the British intelligence service. The Supreme Court’s ruling is final and comes at a time when the death row prisoner was awaiting a UK visa to leave the country.
Akbari is «one of the most important infiltrators of the evil British spy service», writes the Iranian news agency Mizan, which adds that he had access to very sensitive information and that he knowingly and repeatedly provided it to «the services of the enemy».
After learning of the sentence, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged Iran not only to halt Akbari’s execution but also to release him, stressing his British citizenship.
«This is a politically motivated act by a barbaric regime that has total disregard for human life,» Cleverly denounced on his Twitter account.
Akbari joins a long list of Iranian dual citizens who have been charged and sentenced to death for alleged espionage crimes on behalf of foreign intelligence agencies, over the CIA or Mossad.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
