Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Former Iranian politician executed in January was UK spy

Former Iranian politician executed in January was UK spy

British intelligence officials have admitted Alireza Akbari, the former Iranian deputy defense minister executed by the regime earlier this year, was an MI6 spy.
Akbari, 62, passed information to the UK from 2004 for 15 years, including details about Iran’s nuclear program.

A New York Times report claimed that British intelligence officers told Israeli officials during a meeting in Tel Aviv in 2008 that the UK had infiltrated the Iranian regime, allowing it to identify a secret uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, 20 miles from the city of Qom.

The information was made public by former US President Barack Obama at the 2009 G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, who added that Iran was “endangering the global nonproliferation regime.”

An Israeli official at the time said other intelligence agencies were “shocked” at the information MI6 was able to glean from inside Iran about the Fordow site.

Akbari also passed details to MI6 about more than 100 senior Iranian figures, including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the so-called “father of the Iranian bomb” assassinated by Israel in 2020.

A deeply religious hard-line former soldier, Akbari was vocal in his support of Iran’s nuclear program, and was chosen to meet UN Security Council ambassadors in 2004 to assuage fears over Tehran’s plans to develop weapons.

It was around that time, the Iranian regime claims, that Akbari became a spy, receiving £2 million ($2.49 million) from MI6 as well as UK visas for his family.

He retired from his work in Iran’s government in 2008, but remained an adviser to the Supreme National Security Council.

He was later detained and questioned for months on suspicion of being a spy, before being released, after which he moved to London with his family and became a UK citizen.

He traveled back to Iran at least three times, being detained during his final trip to Tehran in 2019, again on suspicion of espionage after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps received information linking him to the Fordow revelations from Russian intelligence.

He was held in the notorious Evin Prison, and on Jan. 11 this year was denounced as a “super spy” by the regime.

He made a public confession, broadcast on Iranian TV, which he later claimed was made following prolonged torture.

“I was interrogated and tortured for over 3,500 hours in 10 months. By using the force of a gun and making death threats they made me confess to false and baseless claims,” Akbari said in a video obtained by BBC Persian.

Akbari was hanged on Jan. 14. His execution was condemned by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who called it a “callous and cowardly act carried out by a barbaric regime.”

Akbari’s family denies he was a British intelligence asset, claiming he was a victim of internal political power struggles in Iran.

One relative told The Telegraph: “He was a good man who was devoted to his family. Brutal regimes do this to good people and unfortunately this was one of those cases.

“I have fond memories of him visiting us pretty much every Iranian new year regardless of his work schedule. He was kind to me when I was growing up. I remember his smiles.

“As I got older he could see that I was not a supporter of the regime but, regardless of that, because we were family members, he was always kind to me.”

Another relative praised the UK government for its efforts to have Akbari released, telling The Telegraph: “I appreciate what the British government did... but they’re dealing with an unsavory regime that has no regard for human life.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
×