UK sanctions Iranian prosecutor general over execution of British-Iranian national

ISTANBUL

The UK sanctioned Iran's prosecutor general on Saturday, following Iran's execution of a British-Iranian national.

Underlining how last year Iran stepped up its use of the death penalty, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement that Mohammad Jafar Montazeri is one of the most powerful figures in Iran’s judiciary and is responsible for the use of the death penalty.

"The Prosecutor General is at the heart of Iran’s barbaric use of the death penalty for political ends," Cleverly said. "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."

The sanctions impose an asset freeze and UK travel ban on Montazeri.

Earlier on Saturday, Iran announced the execution of Akbari, a former deputy defense minister, days after he was sentenced to death on charges of spying for Britain.

According to the Mizan News Agency, Akbari was executed on charges of corruption and "extensive acts against the country's internal and external security."