Iran hangs former defence ministry official over spy claim
Dubai (AP/PTI): Iran said on Saturday that it had executed a dual Iranian-British national who had once worked for its Defence Ministry, despite an international outcry over his death sentence and those of others held amid nationwide protests.
Iran's Mizan news agency, associated with the country's judiciary, announced Ali Reza Akbari's hanging.
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.
On 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."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Indore water contamination: Six dead, more than 200 hospitalised, says collector
Indore (PTI) Six people have died and more than 200 were hospitalised in an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, a senior official said on Saturday.
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava had on Friday said that he had received information about the deaths of 10 patients due to the outbreak, while residents of the Bhagirathpura area have claimed that 16 people, including a six-month-old child, have died.
"At present, 203 patients are undergoing treatment in 41 hospitals across the city and six people have died," Collector Shivam Verma told PTI Videos.
Of the patients admitted to hospitals, 34 are in the intensive care units (ICUs), and their treatment is being monitored specially.
ALSO READ: Congress and NCP (SP) to contest separately in Nagpur civic polls
The Madhya Pradesh government has shunted out the Indore municipal commissioner and suspended two senior officials in view of the health crisis that emerged in the Bhagirathpura area.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said he has ordered the "removal" (transfer) of municipal commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav, and the suspension of additional municipal commissioner Rohit Sissoniya and in-charge superintendent engineer of Public Health Engineering department Sanjeev Shrivastava.
The government, in its status report before the High Court, stated that the outbreak of diarrheal illness due to contaminated water supply is now under effective control, with continuous minute-to-minute monitoring in place to prevent any resurgence.
