Outrage as Iranian-German national executed in Iran

Germany condemns execution as 'barbaric act', summons Iranian ambassador

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe urges international pressure on Iran over 'inhumane' judicial killings

Iran has executed Iranian-German national Alireza Akbari, who was accused of spying for the UK, sparking outrage from Germany and the UK and prompting calls for increased international pressure on the Islamic Republic.

Akbari, who also held British citizenship, was executed on Saturday after being convicted of 'corruption on earth and harming the country's internal and external security' by spying for the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6.

The execution has been widely condemned, with Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calling it a "barbaric act" and a "flagrant violation of international law". The UK has also condemned the execution, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying it was "a cowardly act of violence" and a "serious escalation" in Iran's hostility towards the UK.

Akbari's execution has also been met with outrage from human rights groups, with Amnesty International saying it was a "blatant violation of the right to life" and a "chilling reminder of the Iranian authorities' disregard for human rights".

The execution comes amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear program and its support for Russia in the war in Ukraine. The UK has been particularly critical of Iran's human rights record, and has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials involved in the suppression of dissent.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman who was detained in Iran for six years on spying charges, has urged the international community to increase pressure on Iran over its "inhumane" judicial killings.

In a statement, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said: "The execution of Alireza Akbari is a stark reminder of the brutality of the Iranian regime. This is not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of arbitrary arrests, torture and executions that has become all too common in Iran."

"The international community must not stand by and allow these atrocities to continue. We must demand the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to the use of the death penalty in Iran."

The execution of Akbari is likely to further strain relations between Iran and the West, and could lead to increased international pressure on Iran to improve its human rights record.