Rebecca Hawkes ©RapidTVNews | 26-09-2011


Iranian authorities are to “diligently pursue the case” against the six documentary makers it arrested a week ago, amid accusations they were spying on behalf of the BBC.

Iran’s intelligence minister Heydar Moshlehi said yesterday (25 September) that the arrests were “the beginning of our activities in this affair,” according to state news agency IRNA.

“British intelligence, under the cover of the BBC, has started a new phase in its destructive activities,” he asserted. “And to prevent more people from falling in the trap set by the [Secret Intelligence Service], the ministry had to act.”


The BBC – a public service broadcaster established by royal charter – says on its website that it is “independent, impartial and honest”, with “trust” at its foundation.

The broadcaster denies that the six arrested are BBC staffers, and today said: “The BBC would like to reiterate that its Persian language service does not have a presence in Iran. There are no BBC Persian staff members or stringers working inside Iran.”

The network has been repeatedly accused by Iranian authorities for instigating anti-government demonstrations in 2009, and it is now illegal for anyone to cooperate with the BBC inside Iran.

“The ban was imposed because the BBC is not a news organisation,” Moshledi added. “Rather, it is an organisation disguised as a news organisation but its real identity is Baha'i and Zionist, and its mission is political intelligence.”

Satellite transmissions of BBC Persian, which broadcasts in the Farsi language via Eutelsat, have been subject to frequent disruption by Iran, with interference intensifying on the 17 September, when the channel commenced broadcast of a documentary about Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

“We consider this to be part of ongoing efforts by the Iranian government to put pressure on the BBC for the impartial and balanced coverage of its Persian language TV of events in Iran and the wider region,” said Liliane Landor, controller, languages, BBC Global News.