Europe 1 with AFP
modified to
6:49 p.m., January 14, 2023
The Iranian Judicial Authority agency Mizan Online announced on Saturday the execution by hanging of Alireza Akbari, an Iranian-British man sentenced to death for espionage. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly condemned a “barbaric act” which “will not go unanswered”.
An Iranian-British man sentenced to death for espionage, Alireza Akbari, has been executed by hanging in Iran, the Iranian judicial authority agency Mizan Online announced on Saturday. According to this agency, Mr. Akbari, 61, had been convicted of “corruption on Earth and of undermining the internal and external security of the country for having transmitted information” to the United Kingdom. A “barbaric act” which “will not go unanswered,” reacted British Foreign Minister James Cleverly. London will “summon the Iranian charge d’affaires to tell him of our disgust,” he added.
An execution condemned by France and the United States
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, for his part, denounced on Twitter a “ruthless and cowardly” condemnation. France acted shortly after to condemn “with the greatest firmness” this execution, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published on Saturday. “The charge d’affaires of the Iranian embassy in Paris was summoned once again this morning to express our indignation” and to warn him that “the repeated violations of international law by Iran cannot go unanswered , particularly when it comes to the treatment of foreign nationals that this country arbitrarily detains,” the ministry said. Seven French are currently detained in Tehran.
American diplomacy for its part said it was “horrified” by the execution, adding “to stand with the British government” against an “unjust” act. “Arbitrary detentions, coerced confessions and politically motivated executions are completely unacceptable and must stop,” a State Department spokesman added.
“An additional step has been taken”
“An additional step has been taken with this execution”, governed at the microphone of Europe 1 the geopolitician and director of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (Iris) Pascal Boniface. “The Iranian regime openly challenges the UK and all Western countries.” According to him, the European Union could decide to “classify the Revolutionary Guards on the list of terrorist organizations and also take more sanctions, perhaps individual, compared to the Iranian leaders, some of whom come to Europe”.