The execution of a British-Iranian dual national by Iran's "barbaric regime" was a "callous and cowardly act", Rishi Sunak has said.
Early this morning, the death of Alireza Akbari was confirmed by the state-run Iranian Students' News Agency.
But a statement from the Iranian Students’ News Agency less than a day later said: “The sentence of Alireza Akbari, the son of Ali with dual Iranian-British citizenship, who was sentenced to death on charges of corruption in the land and widespread action against the country’s internal and external security through espionage for the intelligence apparatus of the British government, was executed.”
The British Government had appealed on Friday to the Iranian authorities, asking them not to proceed with the hanging.
Today, Prime Minister Sunak called the execution a “callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime”.
Writing on Twitter, Mr Sunak said: “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.”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly - who reached out to Iran on Friday - added that the execution "deserves condemnation in the strongest possible terms", adding "this will not stand unchallenged":
Mr Akbari was an Iranian former deputy defence minister who was arrested in 2019 and accused of espionage for MI6 related to past nuclear talks between Iran and western nations, according to reports.
He denied the charge and said he was tortured and forced to confess on camera to crimes he did not commit, BBC Persian reported.
Foreign Secretary Mr Cleverly had warned Tehran that London was watching the case “closely”.
He tweeted on Friday: “The Iranian regime should be in no doubt. We are watching the case of Alireza Akbari closely.
“Iran must not follow through with their brutal threat of execution.”
Earlier this week, Mr Akbari’s wife Maryam told BBC Persian she was invited to a “final meeting” at the prison where he was put in solitary confinement.
Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns previously accused the Iranians of seeking to “weaponise” dual nationals as anti-government protests convulse the country.
“It is another horrifying example of the Iranian regime – because they feel they are cornered, because there is such significant pressure from sanctions – weaponising British nationals and industrialising hostage-taking,” she told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.
She said Mr Akbari may have been singled out by the regime because of his closeness to a leading Iranian moderate who has led calls for dialogue and discussion.
Tehran has detained a number of dual and foreign nationals in recent years, including British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held in 2016 and released last year.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
