Iran’s Transnational Repression: Families of BBC Persian Journalists in the Crosshairs

June 06, 2025 – Iran – 

Iran’s government has intensified its transnational repression by systematically targeting the families of exiled journalists, particularly those working for BBC Persian. This growing campaign aims to silence journalists abroad by threatening their loved ones still living inside Iran, using a calculated mix of intimidation, harassment, and punishment.

According to reports from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Iranian intelligence agents have summoned family members of several journalists and delivered chilling ultimatums: tell their relatives abroad to stop reporting or face severe consequences. In some cases, relatives have been threatened with criminal charges, had their passports confiscated, and faced financial penalties, including asset freezes. One journalist, Roozbeh Bolhari, reported that his parents were directly warned of looming prison sentences unless he ceased his work with U.S.-funded media.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) describes these tactics as an alarming escalation. BBC Persian staff based in London have reported over 20 threat-to-life incidents, including a stabbing in 2024 that remains under investigation. A BBC staff survey revealed that over 60% of its Persian employees have had family members threatened or harassed in Iran. In comparison, more than 70% have been unable to return to see dying parents due to fear of arrest or retribution.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie has condemned Iran’s actions as a form of state-sponsored terrorism targeting journalists and their families. Prominent BBC Persian presenter Rana Rahimpour revealed that her family has faced repeated threats of rape, murder, and beheading. The threats serve as psychological warfare, pressuring journalists to quit or censor their reporting.

Iran’s campaign fits into a wider pattern of suppressing dissent abroad, targeting not only journalists but also activists like Masih Alinejad. These actions reveal a concerning international reach that undermines press freedom and human rights standards.

As the BBC prepares to escalate its complaints to the United Nations Human Rights Council, press freedom organizations and Western governments are calling for stronger international action to hold Iran accountable for this brazen campaign of intimidation.

Reference – 

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/tell-him-to-stop-iran-targets-families-to-silence-journalists-abroad

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgle5w6rpwlo

Iran escalates harassment of BBC Persian journalists’ families