‘Former minister’ gets death in Iran for spying

TEHRAN: Iran has sentenced a antheral to decease aft his condemnation for spying for British quality services, the Islamic republic’s judicial quality bureau reported connected Wednesday.

“Alireza Akbari was sentenced to decease for corruption connected world and for harming the country’s interior and outer information by passing connected intelligence,” Mizan Online reported.

It did not specify Akbari’s age, occupation, day of apprehension oregon sentencing, but said the determination had been confirmed by the Supreme Court, without mentioning when.

Citing a connection from the quality ministry, Mizan said Akbari had go a “key spy” for Britain’s “Secret Intelligence Service” — MI6 — owed to “the value of his position”.

On Feb 2, 2019, the authoritative authorities paper Iran published an interrogation with Alireza Akbari, whom it identified arsenic a “former lawman defence curate successful the reformist government” of Mohammad Khatami, who served arsenic Iran’s president from 1997 to 2005.

In aboriginal December, Iran enactment to decease 4 radical accused of moving with Israel’s quality service, Mizan said astatine the time.

Iran carried retired the sentences 4 days aft the Supreme Court upheld the punishment of superior punishment for “their quality practice with the Zionist authorities (Israel) and kidnapping”, Mizan Online had said.

30 journalists successful jails

At slightest 30 Iranian journalists are inactive imprisoned successful transportation with protests linked to the decease of Mahsa Amini, the Tehran journalists’ relation said connected Wednesday. “Around 70 journalists” person been detained since mid-September, the relation said successful a statement.

Some person been released connected bail portion “30 journalists taken successful for questioning are inactive detained”, it added connected its Telegram messaging app transmission wherever it published a database of those presently jailed.

Among those connected the database are the 2 Iranian journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi who helped exposure the lawsuit of Amini.

“Since the commencement of the protests, a ample fig of journalists person besides been summoned” by the authorities, the organisation added, without elaborating.

The latest to beryllium sentenced was sports writer Ehsan Pirbornash, reformist paper Hammihan reported connected Wednesday. It did not place the charges against him but said helium indispensable service 10 years successful situation retired of an 18-year sentence.

In precocious October, much than 300 Iranian journalists and photojournalists signed a connection to criticise the authorities for “arresting colleagues and stripping them of their civilian rights aft their detentions”, section media said astatine the time.

Published successful Dawn, January 12th, 2023