The Iranian Intelligence Ministry released a new statement on Friday to clarify Alireza Akbari's death sentence, denouncing the UK government for weeping "crocodile tears" over the spy's execution.

The statement clarified the recent execution of Alireza Akbari, upon which the EU government, alongside the collective West, launched an anti-Iran campaign.

However, the ministry noted that "Carrying out his verdict was a direct result of the crime committed by the British intelligence agency."

Furthermore, Akbari's execution, according to the statement, damaged the British intelligence agency's reputation: "With the identification and arrest of Alireza Akbari, the prestige of the British intelligence service and the safe haven of its spies became evident to everyone."

The Intelligence ministry explained that "When the British made Akbari a spy in two stages, they plotted his escape from Iran, paid him more than two million euros, provided him with luxurious houses in Vienna, London, and southern Spain," adding that "in an unusual manner, they gave him a residency card, followed by citizenship and an English passport."

The British, the statement added, have bribed Akbari with material gains and a UK passport and then requested information from Akbari that pertained to "Iran's secret military and missile programs, methods to circumvent sanctions, information related to some security, defense and political institutions of the country and great scientists such as [nuclear scientist] Fakhrizadeh."

However, the statement underscored, this bribery approach of granting citizenship and passport will not pan out as an escape plan for Iranian spies.

The statement also noted that the UK's increased anti-Iran efforts are aimed to deflect attention away from the internal challenges.

Former Iranian official Alireza Akbari executed on spy charges

Alireza Akbari, a former Iranian official charged with spying for the British intelligence agency, has been executed by hanging on January 14. 

The Mizan news outlet of Iran's Judiciary stated that the former official, whose charges were “corruption on earth” and “extensive activities against the country's internal and external security” through espionage was arrested in 2019 after having received 1,805,000 euros, 265,000 pounds, and $50,000 for his collusion with the UK.

Akbari was the deputy defense minister during the tenure of former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who served from 1997 to 2005.

“Akbari collected the important information of the country on strategic issues in the field of domestic and foreign policy, regional, defense, missile, nuclear negotiations, and economic issues related to sanctions and delivered it to British intelligence officers in a fully informed and targeted manner," Mizan stated.

“On this basis and after filing an indictment against the accused, the file was referred to court, and hearings were held in the presence of the accused’s lawyer and based on the valid documents in the person’s file, he was sentenced to death for spying for the UK."

The death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court after Akbari requested an appeal, which was sent through by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly after reports of the planned execution emerged. Cleverly posted in a tweet: "Iran must halt the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari and immediately release him.”

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