Escalating security concerns see BBC file urgent complaint to UNAgainst Iran’s ongoing harassment of BBC News Persian journalists and their familiesThe urgent complaint comes as Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC International News and Director of World Service, and Rozita Lotfi, Head of BBC News Persian, address the Third Global Conference for Media Freedom"We appeal to the UN and the international community to continue to condemn Iran for their unacceptable treatment of our BBC News Persian colleagues. There have been escalating actions and threats, including an asset freeze which penalises the journalists and their families, online harassment, gendered attacks on women journalists and death threats. It must stop." — Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC News International Services and Director of World ServiceOFFICIAL PRESS RELEASENEWS PROVIDED BY BBC One The BBC has today filed an urgent complaint against Iran with the United Nations over ongoing harassment and sanctions against BBC News Persian journalists and their families in Iran. The urgent complaint is made amid escalating security concerns after a year in which Iran has conducted unlawful, extra-territorial operations against journalists and dissidents. The urgent complaint comes as Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC International News and Director of World Service, and Rozita Lotfi, Head of BBC News Persian, today address the Third Global Conference for Media Freedom being held in Tallinn, hosted by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For more than a decade Iran has targeted BBC News Persian journalists and their families. Journalists have not been able to return to Iran for fear of arrest, while family members have been subjected to travel bans, interrogated and arbitrarily detained. Based on interviews with staff members about incidents in the last year, including since the new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office, the new UN complaint filed today reveals a concerning increase in harassment and security risk. The BBC has reported to the UN: Increased security concerns for BBC News Persian journalists in the light of extra-territorial threats, including in the UK and in third countries; Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Jennifer Robinson (Doughty Street Chambers), Counsel for BBC World Service, says: “We know from Iran’s past actions that it is willing to take cross-border and deadly action to silence its critics, and that it perceives independent journalism about Iran as a risk to their power. Our clients from BBC News Persian receive threats of death and violence simply for doing their jobs - simply for being journalists. We call on the United Nations experts and the Human Rights Council to take swift, robust action to hold Iran to account and ensure that BBC News Persian journalists can report without fear.” The NUJ’s national broadcasting organiser, Paul Siegert, says: “It is a sad state of affairs that in 2022 these kind of attacks and abuse against individuals are still an on-going problem. Journalists and their families are being threatened just because of the job they do. It has to stop. Our members will not be silenced and will not stop doing their jobs. We once again call on the Iranian government to put a halt to this unacceptable behaviour.”
Source BBC One
February 10, 2022 5:00am ET by BBC One |