[5] Akbari was a member of the military organisation which implemented the 1988 cease-fire between Iran and Iraq and ended the Iran–Iraq War in 1988, under United Nations Security Council Resolution 598.

His role involved liaising with foreign embassies in Tehran, responsible for putting the case that Iran's nuclear programme was for peaceful purposes.

[11] Iranian state media published a video on 12 January 2023 which argued that Akbari played a role in the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in a 2020 attack outside Tehran.

[11][21] Akbari was accused of providing information to British officials (MI 5, 16, 13) regarding 178 Iranian figures, including Fakhrizadeh and Gen. Col Solemai Khomani killed in 2019 by foreign intelligence agencies.

[11][23] Four months after the execution of Alireza Akbari, the New York Times newspaper in an article written by Farnaz Fasihi and Ronen Bergman, citing Western and Israeli intelligence sources, confirmed that he had spied on Iran's nuclear and military programs.

According to the New York Times report, Akbari gave information about the Fordow site to the British government, which was then provided by Britain to its allies.

"[11][25][26] Cleverly called Akbari's execution "barbaric" in a Twitter post and said, "the Iranian regime has once again shown its callous disregard for human life.

"[11] After the UK government condemned the execution of Akbari, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying "The British regime, whose royal family member, sees the killing of 25 innocent people as removal of chess pieces and has no regrets over the issue, and those who turn a blind eye to this war crime, are in no position to preach others on human rights.

Amnesty also requested that the UK government "fully investigate" the accusations that Akbari was subjected to torture and ill treatment in prison and "pursue all avenues to hold the Iranian authorities to account.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed that Tehran will be punished for human rights abuses during the crackdown of widespread demonstrations.

Ramin Forghani, his nephew, founded the Iranian Atheists Association in Glasgow in 2013, and was vice-chair of the Scottish Secular Society.