Britain summons Iran envoy over threats to UK-based journalists

The British government yesterday summoned Iran’s most senior diplomat in London to protest what it said were serious threats against journalists living in Britain, as ministers launched a new security review into Iranian activities, Reuters reported.

On Saturday, a London-based television station critical of the Iranian government said it was moving its live broadcasting studios to the United States after threats it faced in Britain.

“I am appalled by the Iranian regime’s continuing threats to the lives of UK-based journalists and have today summoned its representative to make clear this will not be tolerated,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

The Foreign Office said the Iranian Charge d’Affaires, Mehdi Hosseini Matin, had been told that Britain would not accept such threats to life and media freedom.

In November, Britain’s domestic spy agency head said Iran’s intelligence services have tried on at least ten occasions to kidnap or even kill British nationals or individuals based in the United Kingdom regarded by Tehran as a threat

Tensions between London and Tehran have escalated since Iran executed Iranian-British Ali Reza Akbari a month ago on charges of spying for London.

His execution sparked condemnation followed by the imposition of new sanctions on Iranian officials by the UK.

On Monday, the government imposed sanctions on three Iranian judges, three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two regional governors over what it said were human rights violations.

READ: Iran and Britain history of strained relations