Iran has executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, who once worked for its defense ministry, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Saturday, after sentencing him to death on charges of spying for Britain. It did not say when it happened. However, there were rumors he had been executed days ago. Iran had accused Akbari, without offering evidence, of being a spy for Britain’s MI-6 intelligence agency. It aired a highly edited video of Akbari discussing the allegations resembling others that activists have described as coerced confessions. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Friday that Iran must not follow through with the execution of Akbari, a former Iranian deputy defense minister. Britain had described the death sentence as politically motivated and called for his immediate release. Also Friday, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel criticized Akbari’s pending execution. “The charges against Alireza Akbari and his sentencing to execution were politically motivated. His execution would be unconscionable," she said. “We are greatly disturbed by the reports that Mr. Akbari was drugged, tortured while in custody, interrogated for thousands of hours, and forced to make false confessions.” She added: “More broadly, Iran’s practices of arbitrary and unjust detentions, forced confessions, and politically motivated executions are completely unacceptable and must end.”