Iran’s Defense Ministry clarified Monday that British-Iranian Alireza Akbari, accused of espionage and executed last week, never served as the portfolio’s ‘number two’.
«Alireza Akbari has never held the position of deputy defense minister,» the Iranian Defense Ministry has assured in a statement reported by the Tasnim news agency, thus denying a report picked up by the country’s media.
Akbari was sentenced to death on the basis of «substantiated evidence» of his collaboration and espionage work for the UK Intelligence Service, MI6, and in a maneuver aimed at guaranteeing the «internal and external security» of the Asian nation.
Considered by Teheran as one of the «most important agents» of MI6 and a «master of espionage», the Iranian media itself reported that Akbari had worked as Deputy Minister of Defense during the mandate of former President Mohammad Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005).
Akbari’s execution was soon criticized by the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak strongly condemned what had happened and called his execution «a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime that does not respect the human rights of its own people».
London also recalled its ambassador to Iran for consultations; announced a series of sanctions against the Iranian attorney general, Mohamad Yafar Montazeri; and warned that it would review its support for the nuclear agreement with Iran.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)