Germany summons Iran envoy again over executions
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Hashim Sheikh
- . January 17, 2023
- . Update: January 17, 2023 6:05 pm
Annalena Baerbock, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, has summoned the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin over human rights violations and a rash of executions by Tehran.
The spokesman, Christofer Burger, confirmed that the Iranian ambassador was summoned during a meeting at the Foreign Office in Germany. The spokesman condemned massive human rights violations and a wave of executions in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On Saturday, Iran executed Alireza Akbari, 61, a British Iranian dual national, over spying for the United Kingdom. Iran judiciary’s Mizan Online website said that Akbari was found guilty of “corruption on earth and harming the country’s internal and external security.” According to the Mizan news agency, Akbari sent important Iranian data to the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). It also alleged that the UK paid around $2 million to Akbari for his services.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency said that Akbari played a major role in the assassination of the country’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in 2020.
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the execution of Akbari. James Cleverly, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK, also slammed the Iranian regime. Iran summoned the British ambassador to protest against the execution of Akbari.
French President Emmanuel Macron also slammed Iran. He called it a “heinous and barbaric act” by Tehran. Many world leaders also condemned the fresh wave of executions in Tehran.
According to the government’s official Iran newspaper, Akbari was arrested by Iranian authorities between March 2019 and March 2020. He served as a Deputy Defence Minister of Iran until 2001. He fought the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
However, Iran’s Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that Akbari “never served as a deputy minister of Iran at the Defense Ministry.”
