Location: Iran, Tehran
Date: February 24, 2022

The BBC registered an urgent complaint with the United Nations on February 10 regarding the persistent harassment of its employees associated with BBC Persian. The complaint comes after a year of extrajudicial steps taken by the state that threaten the safety of the press community at large, but specifically, the journalists employed by their organizations. In a detailed complaint, the BBC highlighted the manners in which their employees and their families have been targeted and urged the Human Rights Council to look into the matter.

The complaint came on the same day as Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC International News and Director of World Service, and Rozita Lotfi, Head of BBC News Persian, addressed the Third Global Conference for Media Freedom, hosted by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the complaint BBC claimed that their journalists associated with the Persian chapter feel unsafe returning to Iran due to state-backed threats to their personhood. Meanwhile, their families face travel bans, arbitrary detention and unjustified interrogation.

The complaint also mentions that the journalists are targeted through different channels. Their personal funds are frozen by the state, they are regularly and excessively surveilled which is a breach of their right to privacy, and they also face persistent online violence through what appear to be targeted campaigns.

In a public statement Lilian Landor said, “We appeal to the UN and the international community to continue to condemn Iran for their unacceptable treatment of our BBC News Persian colleagues. There have been escalating actions and threats, including an asset freeze which penalises the journalists and their families, online harassment, gendered attacks on women journalists and death threats. It must stop. The BBC will continue to speak up for its journalists who should be free to carry out their jobs without fear of threats or intimidation towards them or their families in Iran.” 

Lawyers Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Jennifer Robinson who serve as counsel for BBC World Service, said: “We know from Iran’s past actions that it is willing to take cross-border and deadly action to silence its critics, and that it perceives independent journalism about Iran as a risk to their power. Our clients from BBC News Persian receive threats of death and violence simply for doing their jobs - simply for being journalists. We call on the United Nations experts and the Human Rights Council to take swift, robust action to hold Iran to account and ensure that BBC News Persian journalists can report without fear."

The Coalition For Women In Journalism supports the complaint made to the United Nations and condemns the blatant press repression in Iran. Threatening journalists and innocent civilians through extra judicial means is a blatant violation of civil rights and deserving of urgent international attention.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.