Journalists at BBC Persian says they are scared to go out alone as UK counter-terrorism police raise security levels and staff warned: ‘we can do whatever we want in London’

In one message, an Iranian-British journalist working for the BBC says she was told: “On Westminster Bridge is a very deep river. It doesn’t matter that you don’t live in Iran – we can also do whatever we want in London.”

In October 2022, the Iranian foreign affairs ministry named BBC Persian in a list of organisations and people sanctioned for “deliberate actions in support of terrorism, incitement of violence, and human rights abuses”.

The scale of intimidation faced by BBC staff in London has given an insight into how the Iranian regime’s use of violence and blackmail extends to the UK.

  • variaatioEnglish
    172·
    9 months ago

    Threatening BBC in London seems like a really stupid idea. They will just call MI5 and the Metropolitan police. I would think British government takes dim view on a foreign government trying to pressure BBC in London.

    P.S. You see that is the British government’s job, stay out of their turf. :)

    • gmtom@lemmy.worldEnglish
      26·
      9 months ago

      Yeah remember when the Russians poisoned a Russian living in London with polonium tea and in return our government did… uh something? Maybe a strongly worded letter or some sanctions or something?

      Oh or how about when Russians assassinated someone with a nerve agent in Salisbury and ended up killing some British civilians too? We didn’t let that stand at all because the government decided too… uhm, I think we arrested the bloke who did it? Maybe?

      So yeah if I was Iran I would quaking in my boots.