Britain sanctions Iran chief prosecutor following execution of dual national

Britain has sanctioned Iran’s prosecutor general after the “barbaric regime” executed a dual British-Iranian national on spy charges.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the move “underlines our disgust” at the decision to put Alireza Akbari to death.

Prosecutor general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri is at the “heart of Iran’s use of the death penalty”, the Cabinet minister added.

It comes after Iranian state media on Saturday announced that Mr Akbari, a former Tehran defence official who was seen by the Islamic Republic as a reforming moderate, had been hanged.

No exact date was given for the execution but there were rumours that he had his life ended days before the announcement.

Mr Akbari’s wife Maryam told BBC Persian earlier this week she was invited to a “final meeting” at the prison where he was put in solitary confinement.