Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why is Iran designating UK-based TV channels as ‘terrorists’?

Why is Iran designating UK-based TV channels as ‘terrorists’?

Tehran blames the channels and their hosts and backers for what it considers ‘inciting terrorist acts’ on Iranian soil.

A senior judiciary official says Iran is in the process of officially designating two London-based Persian-language television channels as “terrorist” for their coverage of the country’s ongoing unrest.

Kazem Gharibabadi, the judiciary’s deputy for international affairs, says cases are being documented against BBC Persian and Iran International with the goal of blacklisting them in their entirety for “guiding and inciting riots, destroying public and private property and equipment, and terrorist acts”.

“These two channels and their agents must be added to the list of terrorist groups and individuals,” he said in a statement.

The BBC late on Sunday released a statement calling the charges “completely fabricated”.

“Threats of action against BBC Persian staff for the work they do as journalists is completely unacceptable, and the BBC will continue to support them. Such false comments give countenance to the importance of our reliable reporting, which millions in Iran depend on,” the channel said.

The two channels have for years been denounced by Iranian authorities, but this is the first time Tehran is planning to take legal action against them.

The country’s foreign ministry on Wednesday imposed sanctions on several British institutions and individuals, which included the two channels and their parent companies.

The sanctions include a ban on issuing visas for individuals, seizure of their assets on Iranian soil, and blocking any bank accounts they may have in the country.

The Iranian actions came shortly after the European Union and the United Kingdom announced separate sanctions on a number of Iranian authorities and institutions, both for their role in what European officials called “brutal repression of the protests” and their alleged role in supplying Russia with drones used against Ukraine in the war.

Protests that spread across Iran erupted over a month ago after 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police following her arrest for alleged non-compliance with the country’s dress code.




Iranian authorities have blamed the United States, Israel and others for “inciting riots” across the country and have also pounded positions in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region to punish what they have called “terrorist” secessionist groups.

In his denouncing of the London-based television channels, Gharibabadi, the judiciary official, also promised that “the role of the countries that host and support these channels, i.e. Britain and Saudi Arabia, will also not go unnoticed”.

This came days after Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued a direct warning to Saudi Arabia, which Tehran holds responsible for bankrolling Iran International, among others.

“I warn you to be wary of your behaviour and control these media,” he said in a televised speech. “You have interfered in our internal affairs through these media, but you must know that you are vulnerable.”


Different narratives


The increasing focus on the role of media in the ongoing protests comes as Iranian state-affiliated media and foreign-based outlets have offered different narratives on the country’s unrest. This has been true for demonstrations both inside and outside Iran.

On Saturday, large crowds gathered in several European and US cities in solidarity with Iranian women. In the German capital Berlin, which saw the largest crowds, police said about 80,000 people had gathered by late afternoon, which would make it the largest gathering ever of the Iranian diaspora.

Foreign-based outlets widely covered the event, reporting that Iranians came from different cities and countries, chanting slogans that have been widely used inside the country during the protests, including “Woman, Life, Freedom”.

But in an article on Sunday, the state-run IRNA news website said the Berlin rally signaled a “scandalous defeat for the enemies of Islamic Iran” because, it alleged, some of the demonstrators were not Iranian and were paid to be there, while others were “secessionists” or linked with the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), which Tehran has blacklisted as a “terrorist” organisation.

Inside the country, videos continue to circulate on social media of sporadic demonstrations, as internet restrictions remain in place that make it exceedingly difficult to access social media platforms.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×