MPs hear Iranian security forces ‘threaten’ the lives of UK-based journalists

British-Iranian journalists based in the UK have been warned by police that Iran’s revolutionary guard “threatens their lives”, MPs have heard.

Conservative MP Bob Blackman raised the “credible threats” in the House of Commons during Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) questions.

The MP for Harrow East urged the UK Government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

It comes after Iran International, a UK-based Persian-language news channel, said two of its team had been notified of an increase in threats to them.

Anti-government protests have raged in Iran for several weeks.

The protesters are calling for the overthrow of clerical rule following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police.

Mr Blackman, who last month said he had been sanctioned by Iran, told the Commons: “Thousands of Iranians have been arrested for just demonstrating their support for people who have been murdered.

“Now I’ve been supplied with long list of people who have been sentenced to death for just protesting.

“And even worse now, British-Iranian reporters who are now sited in the UK have been issued with credible threats by the police that the IRGC threatens their lives.

“What more does the IRGC have to do before we proscribe them in their entirety?”

Foreign Office minister David Rutley replied: “I know (Mr Blackman) feels very strongly about these issues and has raised them at the highest level with FCDO ministers.

“We’ve been clear about our concerns with the IRGC’s continued destabilising activity throughout the region and the UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain that destabilising activity.

“The list of proscribed organisations is kept under constant review but we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.”

Iran International, in a statement, said it was “shocked and deeply concerned by the credible threats to life its Iranian-British journalists have received from the IRGC”.

It said: “Two of our British-Iranian journalists have, in recent days, been notified of an increase in the threats to them.

“The UK Met Police have now formally notified both journalists that these threats represent an imminent & significant risk to their lives and those of their families.”

It added other staff members have “also been informed directly” by the Metropolitan Police of “separate threats”.

Several other MPs from across the political spectrum also echoed Mr Blackman’s comments and called for the IRGC to be proscribed.

Tory MP Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) said: “Not content with being the world’s largest state sponsor of international terrorism, Iran is using its same terror enforcer, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to brutally repress its own people.

“And it’s also now arming and training the Russian army in their barbaric invasion of Ukraine, and so in the same vein as my honourable friend for Harrow East, does the minister think it’s now time to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?”

Meanwhile, Labour MP John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) asked: “The IRGC has led and organised the brutal crackdown on protesters in Iran. What do these fascist thugs have to do to get themselves designated as a terrorist organisation?”

Mr Rutley said he was not able to add anything further to the point he had already made to Mr Blackman.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on matters of protective security in relation to any specific individuals.

“We would advise anyone with concerns over their safety to contact police so that officers can assess the situation and offer any safety and security advice as and where necessary.”

The post MPs hear Iranian security forces ‘threaten’ the lives of UK-based journalists appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Bob Blackman, British Iranian journalists, IRGC, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, Mahsa Amini, MPS, Threats to life

MPs hear Iranian security forces ‘threaten’ the lives of UK-based journalists

British-Iranian journalists based in the UK have been warned by police that Iran’s revolutionary guard “threatens their lives”, MPs have heard.

Conservative MP Bob Blackman raised the “credible threats” in the House of Commons during Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) questions.

The MP for Harrow East urged the UK Government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

It comes after Iran International, a UK-based Persian-language news channel, said two of its team had been notified of an increase in threats to them.

Anti-government protests have raged in Iran for several weeks.

The protesters are calling for the overthrow of clerical rule following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police.

Mr Blackman, who last month said he had been sanctioned by Iran, told the Commons: “Thousands of Iranians have been arrested for just demonstrating their support for people who have been murdered.

“Now I’ve been supplied with long list of people who have been sentenced to death for just protesting.

“And even worse now, British-Iranian reporters who are now sited in the UK have been issued with credible threats by the police that the IRGC threatens their lives.

“What more does the IRGC have to do before we proscribe them in their entirety?”

Foreign Office minister David Rutley replied: “I know (Mr Blackman) feels very strongly about these issues and has raised them at the highest level with FCDO ministers.

“We’ve been clear about our concerns with the IRGC’s continued destabilising activity throughout the region and the UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain that destabilising activity.

“The list of proscribed organisations is kept under constant review but we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.”

Iran International, in a statement, said it was “shocked and deeply concerned by the credible threats to life its Iranian-British journalists have received from the IRGC”.

It said: “Two of our British-Iranian journalists have, in recent days, been notified of an increase in the threats to them.

“The UK Met Police have now formally notified both journalists that these threats represent an imminent & significant risk to their lives and those of their families.”

It added other staff members have “also been informed directly” by the Metropolitan Police of “separate threats”.

Several other MPs from across the political spectrum also echoed Mr Blackman’s comments and called for the IRGC to be proscribed.

Tory MP Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) said: “Not content with being the world’s largest state sponsor of international terrorism, Iran is using its same terror enforcer, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to brutally repress its own people.

“And it’s also now arming and training the Russian army in their barbaric invasion of Ukraine, and so in the same vein as my honourable friend for Harrow East, does the minister think it’s now time to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?”

Meanwhile, Labour MP John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) asked: “The IRGC has led and organised the brutal crackdown on protesters in Iran. What do these fascist thugs have to do to get themselves designated as a terrorist organisation?”

Mr Rutley said he was not able to add anything further to the point he had already made to Mr Blackman.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on matters of protective security in relation to any specific individuals.

“We would advise anyone with concerns over their safety to contact police so that officers can assess the situation and offer any safety and security advice as and where necessary.”

The post MPs hear Iranian security forces ‘threaten’ the lives of UK-based journalists appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Bob Blackman, British Iranian journalists, IRGC, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, Mahsa Amini, MPS, Threats to life

Police progressing with hate crime investigation after pig’s head left in Bristol alleyway

Avon and Somerset police are progressing with their hate crime investigation into the public display of a pig’s head in a Bristol alleyway.

Police responded to a call on the morning of November 6 in the Barton Hill area of the city.

A local community group, the Barton-hill Activity Club, tweeted, “BartonHill residents woke up 2 this yesterday morning, it’s a very shocking to see this kind of hate crime and racism in 2022”, attaching a photograph of the pig’s head (which some readers might find upsetting).

Locals also condemned the incident on Twitter, as local councillors, including Mohamed Makawi and Emma Edwards – who extended messages of solidarity to the impacted communities.

Chief Inspector Deepak Kenth provided an update on November 8 in a statement which read: “We’re continuing to make progress in our investigation and have a number of active lines of enquiry we’re pursuing, including an ongoing review of CCTV and other footage from around the area.

“At this stage we do not believe this incident is linked to a recent fire at Eccleston House, for which an investigation remains ongoing with arrests made.

“We’d like to thank local residents for their continuing support and we want them to know that we’re here to listen to their worries and concerns, as well as to follow up on information provided to us.

Neighbourhood policing also creates a space for locals to speak with them during drop-in sessions.

Anyone with information can contact 101, quoting the reference number 5222267142. Tell MAMA can do this on your behalf or pass information forward anonymously.

 

The post Police progressing with hate crime investigation after pig’s head left in Bristol alleyway appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: hate crime, News, pig, pig's head