Iran's judiciary has announced that a death sentence was handed down to a former Iranian Defence Ministry official on the charge of espionage against the country.
The former Deputy Defence Minister, identified by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry as Alireza Akbari, was charged with "espionage on behalf of Britain," "corruption on earth" -- a term used by Iranian authorities to refer to a range of offences, including those related to violating Islamic codes -- and "acting against the country's internal and external security through the transfer of information" abroad, the Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported on Wednesday.
In a statement published on its website on Wednesday, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said Akbari had penetrated the country's sensitive strategic centres, collected important data, and sent them to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6, completely knowingly and in a targeted manner, Xinhua news agency reported.
The statement said Akbari, who had been fully employed by the SIS during his personal trips to Europe, was identified and arrested after lengthy and multilayered processes.
It described Akbari as one of "the most important" agents of SIS, owing to his important position and access to sensitive data.
--IANS
int/khz/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app