Foreign Minister Hoekstra strongly condemns new execution by Iran

The Netherlands "strongly condemns today’s horrendous execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari in Iran," Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra announced on Twitter. He reiterated that the Netherlands is opposed to the death penalty in principle.

Iran announced Saturday morning that Akbari had been executed. Earlier this week, Akbari was sentenced to death for alleged spying for the United Kingdom, among other charges.

Hoekstra will discuss the latest execution with his EU colleagues, he further tweeted. Together with them, he will "work on further action against those responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran."

The Foreign Minister stressed that Iran must ensure both the "basic rights of defendants to a fair trial" and a fair trial "free from any form of ill-treatment".

Hoekstra summoned the Iranian ambassador earlier this month and late last year over the executions. Last Friday, several parliamentary groups - from both coalition and opposition parties - called on the Dutch government to lead the way in Europe in taking action against the Iranian regime. In response, Hoekstra wrote that the Netherlands would join other countries in keeping up the pressure on Iran.