RSF Condemns Escalating Attacks on UK-Based Iranian Journalists and Their Families

June 19, 2025 – Iran/UK – 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has strongly condemned a growing campaign of intimidation and harassment targeting Iranian journalists living in the United Kingdom. The press freedom group warns that Tehran’s security apparatus is increasingly extending its repression across borders, threatening journalists in exile and their families back in Iran.

The most alarming aspect of this campaign involves transnational harassment, surveillance, threats, and psychological pressure. According to RSF, several UK-based Iranian journalists have reported that their family members in Iran have been interrogated, threatened, or pressured to convince them to stop their reporting. Others have been subjected to online smear campaigns or direct threats, aimed at silencing dissenting voices abroad.

This escalation comes in the wake of violent incidents, including the 2024 stabbing of Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati in London. While the motive remains under investigation, the attack raised serious concerns over the safety of Iranian dissidents and journalists in exile.

RSF is calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately halt this campaign of fear, describing it as a clear violation of international law and an assault on press freedom. The organization has also urged the UK government to take urgent action to protect at-risk journalists. This includes enhanced security measures, public condemnation of Iranian transnational repression, and stronger legal frameworks to hold perpetrators accountable.

“These are not isolated incidents,” said RSF. “We are witnessing a systematic pattern of intimidation, intended to silence journalists who are working freely in democratic countries. The chilling effect is real—not only for those targeted, but for the wider Iranian diaspora media community.”

The UK has been home to many independent Iranian media outlets that provide critical coverage of the regime, especially amid growing civil unrest in Iran. The crackdown on these journalists signals Tehran’s fear of losing control over the narrative, even beyond its borders.

As authoritarian regimes increasingly use global tactics to stifle dissent, RSF warns that democracies must rise to meet this challenge, ensuring that exiled journalists and their families are not left vulnerable to foreign state aggression.

Reference – 

https://rsf.org/en/rsf-condemns-rise-attacks-uk-based-iranian-journalists-and-their-families-iran

https://www.publicnow.com/view/4CA0820359840E936BD20808D3DC07E3A973999D?1750412822