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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Iran must give answers regarding the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari. Sunak said Tehran must provide Akbari’s family with answers related to his death and his funeral.
Speaking to parliament, Sunak said the Iranian government must provide answers regarding Akbari’s death and burial. This follows the execution of Akbari by Iran’s hardline judiciary on January 14, defying calls by the United Kingdom and the United States. London has since issued a fresh round of sanctions on Iran in light of Akbari’s execution.
“The regime is prolonging the suffering of the family and it is sadly typical of that disregard for basic human dignity,” Sunak told parliament. “Iran must now provide answers about the circumstances of his death and his burial.”
Labour Party lawmaker Andy Slaughter said he is set to meet with a foreign office minister on Thursday with Akbari’s family, who lives in Slaughter’s constituency, to call for the government’s help.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of the European Union all agreed to impose new sanctions on Iran, targeting over 30 individuals and organizations, including units of the country’s Revolutionary Guards, aside from the US and the UK, which also issued sanctions on Iran. The bloc cited Tehran’s crackdown on the ongoing protests and its human rights abuses, such as the supply of drones to Russia.
While the bloc agreed on new sanctions, they stopped short of officially designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said an EU court must determine that the group is found guilty of engaging in terrorism despite calls from several EU governments and the European Parliament to make the designation.
18 people and 19 entities are being targeted in the latest round of sanctions. The penalties include asset freezes and bans from travelling to the EU.
Sweden, which is currently holding the EU presidency, said the new sanctions are targeting “those driving the repression.”
“The EU strongly condemns the brutal and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian authorities against peaceful protesters,” said Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom on Twitter through Sweden’s EU diplomatic mission.
