12 Jan 2023; MEMO: The Iranian judiciary yesterday sentenced former deputy defence minister Alireza Akbari to death on charges of spying for Britain.
An Iranian Ministry of Intelligence statement described Akbari, who served as deputy defence minister until 2001, as "one of the most important infiltrators of the British spy service in the country's sensitive and strategic apparatuses," according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
Iranian intelligence revealed his espionage by providing him with false information, the ministry said.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Akbar spied on the details of previous nuclear talks between Iran and Western powers, according to Anadolu Agency.
Akbari served as deputy defence minister under President Mohammad Khatami and pushed for better relations with the West.
He has not appeared in public since 2019, and authorities have not published any details about his trial.
