UN fact-finding mission on Iran to research threats to BBC journalists
A
n worldwide fact-finding mission organised by the United Nations (UN) will examine the harassment of BBC News Persian journalists and their households in Iran.
The mission has been arrange by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to research “the deteriorating situation of human rights in Iran, especially with respect to women and children”, following protests that started within the nation in September.
The BBC World Service has filed a submission highlighting Iran’s alleged harassment of BBC News Persian journalists and their households within the nation.
In its submission, the broadcaster mentioned it and different world media organisations had been “blamed” by the Iranian authorities for sparking the protests, including that officers had sought to undermine the credibility of their journalism.
In October 2022, Iran’s ministry of international affairs named BBC Persian as a sanctioned organisation for “supporting and instigating terrorism, violence, hate-mongering and human rights abuses”, which was accompanied by threats of property seizures.
An Iranian judiciary official later known as for BBC Persian to be added to the nation’s record of terrorist teams, in accordance with the BBC.
The broadcaster mentioned that over the next month, additional considerations had been raised over dying threats to journalists, and that UK police and safety providers had foiled 15 plots by Iran to both kidnap or kill UK-based people it thought-about “enemies of the regime”.
Journalists suffered “ongoing and increased concerns about security” in each Iran and their dwelling nations, together with the UK, which included results on psychological and bodily well being, the submission mentioned.
This harassment and persecution of our journalists should cease
On Wednesday, it was confirmed by the mission that the BBC’s submission can be included within the investigation, with a last report because of be submitted to the UNHRC in March 2024.
Liliane Landor, director at BBC World Service, mentioned: “It is crucial that the fact-finding mission’s report to UNHRC highlights the persistent harassment of the BBC News Persian journalists and their families by the Iranian authorities.
“The BBC World Service coverage of the 2022 Iran protests brought about a renewed string of attacks on our journalists, targeting them and their families for their reporting – thus seeking to silence that reporting, to limit access to independent information about the events in Iran and about the causes of those events.
“This harassment and persecution of our journalists must stop.”