UK Sanctions Iran's Prosecutor General After Execution Of British-Iranian National Alireza Akbari: Report

The sanctions impose an asset freeze and United Kingdom travel ban on Mohammad Jafar Montazeri.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

New Delhi: United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri after the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, Britain’s foreign minister James Cleverly said in a press release on Saturday.

The sanctions impose an asset freeze and United Kingdom travel ban on Mohammad Jafar Montazeri.

According to a report by news agency ANI,  James Cleverly said UK sanctions shows Britain’s disgust at Alireza Akbari’s execution.

“The Prosecutor General is at the heart of Iran’s barbaric use of the death penalty for political ends. Sanctioning him today underlines our disgust at Alireza Akbari’s execution and our commitment to holding the regime to account for its appalling human rights violations,” James Cleverly said in the press release.

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In a tweet, Cleverly wrote, “The UK has sanctioned Iran’s Prosecutor General. Sanctioning him today underlines our disgust at Alireza Akbari’s execution. The Prosecutor General is at the heart of Iran’s use of the death penalty. We’re holding the regime to account for its appalling human rights violations.”

Terming the execution a “politically motivated act”, UK government noted that the Iranian regime carried out the execution of four people in connection with the ongoing protests while Mohammad Jafar Montazeri has been the Prosecutor General.

Condemning the execution of Alireza Akbari and calling it a “callous and cowardly act”, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted, “I am appalled by the execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari in Iran. This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people. My thoughts are with Alireza’s friends and family.”

According to a report by CNN, Iran executed a British-Iranian citizen, Alireza Akbari, over accusations of corruption and espionage.