Dual British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari has been executed in Iran, according to state media.

Earlier this week, the family of Mr Akbari said it had been asked to go to his prison for a “final visit” and that he had been moved to solitary confinement, as Britain repeated its call for Tehran not to carry the execution.

“Iran must halt the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari and immediately release him,” the British foreign secretary, James Cleverly had tweeted this week.

“This is a politically motivated act by a barbaric regime that has total disregard for human life.”

But early on Saturday, state media reported it had executed Mr Akbari despite the international outcry.

Mr Akbari, who once served in Iran’s defence ministry, had been accused of spying, an allegation he denied.The Associociated Press said that Iran’s Mizan news agency, that is associated with the country’s judiciary, said he had been hanged.

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