Iran International TV said on Saturday it had been forced to close its London studios over a series of threats from the Iranian regime.
The station in question has reported extensively on the anti-regime demonstrations that began five months ago, and now two of its senior journalists say they have received death threats in response to their reporting.
London’s Metropolitan Police (Met) say they have been working with MI5 – Britain’s secret service network – since early 2022 and together 15 plans have already been discovered “to kidnap or even kill people” seen as “enemies” of the Iranian regime. In November, the Met erected barriers next to the television studios in Chiswick, west London, to prevent vehicular attacks.
The television station’s director-general, Mahmood Enayat, said threats had intensified a week ago when a man was arrested outside the studios. “I can’t believe it’s come to thissaid Enayat, adding that 24-hour broadcasts continued from the studios in Washington, United States.
After a significant escalation of state-sponsored threats from Iran and advice from @metpoliceukIran International TV says it has reluctantly closed its London studios and moved broadcasts to Washington DC.
Read our General Manager’s statement here.https://t.co/j3mzLmU22Z pic.twitter.com/SlLEyVv31u– Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) February 18, 2023
“A foreign state is such a threat to the British public on British soil that we must move,” said Enayat. “Let’s be clear, this is not just a threat to our television station, but to the wider UK public.” “Furthermore, this is an attack on the values of sovereignty, security and freedom of expression that the UK has always upheld,” he said.
The decision was taken last Friday (the 17th), after a week ago Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 30 years old and an Austrian national, was arrested next to the studios of the television station. On Monday (the 13th) he was accused of “gather information likely to be of use to a person committing or preparing to commit a terrorist act”. Dovtaev will have been shooting and filming outside the studios.
Despite the arrest, the Met said it continued to have “serious concerns about the safety of the people who work at the company.” “This led us to give more advice and studios are moving now,” he said, adding that the suggestions were “exceptional” and not taken “lightly.”
Source: DN
