Iran court pronounces ex-official guilty of 'spying for Britain'; sentences to death

The former deputy defense minister, identified by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry as Alireza Akbari, was charged with "espionage on behalf of Britain," "corruption on earth" -- a term used by Iranian authorities to refer to a range of offenses including those related to violating Islamic codes -- and "acting against the country's internal and external security through the transfer of information" abroad, the Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported on Wednesday.

In a statement published on its website on Wednesday, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said Akbari had penetrated the country's sensitive strategic centers, collected important data, and sent them to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6, completely knowingly and in a targeted manner.

The statement said Akbari, who had been fully employed by the SIS during his personal trips to Europe, was identified and arrested after lengthy and multilayered processes.

It described Akbari as one of "the most important" agents of SIS, owing to his important position and access to sensitive data.

( With UNI/Xinhua inputs)