IRAN HAS arrested, questioned and intimidated relatives of journalists working for the London-based BBC Persian Television in its latest crackdown on press freedom, the corporation has claimed.
This comes just two weeks after the arrests in Tehran of documentary film-makers accused of secretly working inside the country for the BBC Farsi-language TV service.
Peter Horrocks, the head of global news at the BBC, said yesterday that relatives and friends of about 10 of the channel’s Iranian staff who work in the UK had been approached by the authorities.
He called on the Iranian government to “repudiate the actions of its officials” and urged the British government to “deter the Iranian government” from attempts to undermine free media.
“Passports have been confiscated, homes searched and threats made. The relatives have been told to tell the BBC staff to stop appearing on air, to return to Iran, or to secretly provide information on the BBC to the Iranian authorities,” he wrote on the BBC blog The Editors.
“Many of our Iranian employees who live in London are fearful to return to their country because of the regime’s attacks on the BBC. But although those journalists are beyond the direct reach of their government they are now subject to a new underhand tactic,” he added.
Mr Horrocks also highlighted the plight of the imprisoned film-makers who Iran said have “painted a black picture of Iran and Iranians” by supplying the BBC with reports “misrepresenting the country”.
They have been identified as four independent documentary film-makers - Hadi Afarideh, Naser Saffarian, Mohsen Shahrnazdar and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb - and a producer and distributor, Katayoun Shahabi. – ( Guardianservice)