Officials Condemn ‘Barbaric’ Execution of British National In Iran, Announce Sanctions

Officials are condemning the execution of Alireza Akbari, a duel British and Iran citizen and former Tehran defense official. An Iranian news service announced on Saturday that Akbari was hanged to death, though the report did not specify when this took place.

The Washington Post reported the news shortly after. Akbari was accused of espionage on behalf of the British government. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the execution on Saturday, blasting Iran’s “barbaric regime.”

“I am appalled by the execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari in Iran,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter. “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.”

British officials unsuccessfully fought for the release of Akbari, and some are declaring his death will not go unanswered.

“Iran has executed a British national. This barbaric act deserves condemnation in the strongest possible terms. This will not stand unchallenged,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted.

He later announced the U.K. is sanctioning Iran’s prosecutor general over the execution.

“Sanctioning him today underlines our disgust at Alireza Akbari’s execution,” Cleverly wrote. “The Prosecutor General is at the heart of Iran’s use of the death penalty. We’re holding the regime to account for its appalling human rights violations.”

U.S. officials were also applying pressure over Akbari’s detention. U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel called the charges against Akbari “politically motivated” this week. Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and stood by the arrest and conviction of Akbari.

Akbari denied charges against him, but he was sentenced to death earlier in the week. He was arrested in 2019. He previously served under reformist Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi reported at least four individuals have been hanged by the Iran in recent months as part of a “government crackdown” in response to protests against the current regime in the country.

Watch above via MSNBC