Iranian official now claims Iranian-German prisoner died before he could be put to death

German officials had been skeptical of Iran's claims that Ali Reza Akbari was executed

An Iranian official has now claimed that Iranian-German prisoner Ali Reza Akbari died before he could be put to death.

This is in contrast to Iran's earlier claim that Akbari had been executed. German officials had been skeptical of Iran's claims, and Akbari's family had said they had not been notified of his execution.

Akbari was a former Iranian defense official who was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to death in 2023 on charges of spying for the United Kingdom

His death sentence sparked international condemnation, and Germany had been working to secure his release.

It is not clear what caused Akbari's death. Iranian officials have said that he died of a heart attack, but his family has said that he was in good health.

Akbari's death is the latest in a series of executions of dual nationals in Iran. In recent years, Iran has executed several Iranian-Americans and Iranian-British citizens on charges of espionage.

The executions have raised concerns about the human rights situation in Iran and have strained relations between Iran and the West.