Iran’s judiciary has sentenced a former Defense Ministry employee to death for espionage. Alireza Akbari was allegedly exposed as one of the “most important agents of British intelligence”. While other death sentences are still subject to appeal, this one is final.
Iran accuses Akbari of leaking state secrets. The British-Iranian citizen was arrested in 2019. Rumors have been circulating in Tehran for days about the identity of an imprisoned politician who has been exposed as a “master spy”.
Internal power struggle?
According to reports, the case could also point to an internal power struggle. As a senior politician in the Defense Ministry, Akbari is said to have maintained close ties with politicians who tried to mediate in Iran after the recent wave of protests.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Friday that the planned execution was “politically motivated”. “Iran must stop the execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari and release him immediately,” he wrote on Twitter. The “barbaric regime” is said to “completely ignore human life”.
Common accusation
Espionage is currently a common accusation in Iran. There are repeated reports of arrests, arrests and executions of Iranians accused of working for foreign secret services, especially Israel’s Mossad or the US intelligence agency CIA. According to human rights groups, nearly 20,000 people have been arrested so far – and not just for alleged espionage. At least four death sentences against government opponents were also carried out.
On Wednesday it was announced that the impending execution of a demonstrator had been suspended after protests. The 19-year-old’s lawyer requested a new trial at the Supreme Court. Mohammed B. is accused of setting fire to a government building and injuring a security officer. According to information from the human rights organization Amnesty International, at least 26 people in Iran are currently at risk of the death penalty.
resistance unbroken
Experts assume that resistance to the leadership in Iran will continue because none of the demands have been met. Many protesters went underground after mass arrests and death sentences. However, the spiritual leadership fears that concessions to the demonstrators could be interpreted as weakness.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
