UK imposes sanctions on Iran after execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari
GuardianJan 14, 2023
On Saturday, Iran announced the execution of an Iranian-British national and former high-ranking defense ministry official on espionage and corruption charges.
Alireza Akbari was reportedly hanged after being convicted of "corruption on earth" over allegations of passing on Iran's intelligence to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service — popularly known as MI6.
Akbari's execution, which comes amid Tehran's brutal theocratic crackdown on the nation's mass protests, is an inhumane and politically motivated move that will further polarize the nation. As Iran's ruthlessness continues to escalate, the West must join the UK — which has retaliated against this latest development with sanctions — in solidarity and hold the regime accountable.
While the death penalty shouldn't be implemented lightly, the reality is that Akbari turned his back on his duties and illegally deceived Iran, putting the nation at significant risk. This case was decided according to Tehran's legislation and signals no individual is above the country's law, no matter how powerful they are.
There's a 50% chance that Iran will cease to be an Islamic Republic by February, 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.