An Iranian television news presenter, Pouria Zeraati, 36, was assaulted outside his residence in Wimbledon, south London, and is presently recuperating in a hospital.
This attack comes in the wake of significant threats directed at the London-based news channel Iran International, where Zeraati works. The station has been vocal about receiving serious threats for the past 18 months, particularly from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a statement from a station spokesman highlighted.
Adam Baillie, a representative for Iran International, elucidated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the threats have not only been directed at journalists but also at their families, with the IRGC allegedly using intermediaries to avoid leaving evidence of their involvement. The intensity and nature of these threats have reportedly escalated, with relatives being aggressively interrogated and coerced into convincing their family members to cease their association with the channel.
Iran International, which prides itself on delivering independent news coverage of Iran, has been labeled a terrorist organization by the Tehran regime, a claim the channel vehemently disputes. The Metropolitan Police, with its counter-terrorism unit taking the lead, are investigating the stabbing incident, although the motivation behind the attack remains unclear.
The incident has sparked considerable concern among UK-based Iranian journalists, with Sima Sabet, another presenter at Iran International and former BBC World Service journalist, revealing that police had advised her to vacate her home following the assault on Zeraati. Sabet also recalled previous assassination attempts by the Revolutionary Guards against her and a colleague.
The UK government has been criticized for not taking adequate, decisive action to ensure the safety of journalists from the Iranian regime’s threats. The Foreign Office had previously sanctioned members of the IRGC’s Unit 840, implicated in assassination plots against Iran International presenters, following an investigation.
Iran International had temporarily relocated its broadcasting operations to Washington DC in February 2023 due to heightened threats from Iran, before resuming in London last September. Additionally, a case in December saw Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, a Chechen-born Austrian national, imprisoned for plotting an attack on UK soil targeting Iran International.
The London Metropolitan Police disclosed that since the beginning of 2022, they have thwarted 15 plots aimed at kidnapping or assassinating individuals in the UK perceived as adversaries of the Iranian regime. No arrests have been made in connection with the recent attack on Zeraati.
The incident underscores the ongoing risks faced by journalists and critics of the Iranian regime in the UK and raises questions about the efficacy of protective measures for such individuals.
