Iran has stepped up its campaign of death threats against journalists working in London for BBC Persian with warnings that they will be kidnapped and brought back to Iran if they refuse to quit their jobs.
Staff for the British broadcaster said intimidation, which had been going on for years, was mounting with threats, cyberbullying and pressure put on their Tehran-based families, members of whom were arrested and questioned by Iranian agents.
The latest campaign has included:
- One staffer receiving a doctored photo showing her mother covered in blood
- Death threats including one warning that a journalist would be "skinned alive"
- Threats against the children and spouses of journalists
- Officials removing relatives' travel documents to cut family contacts.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the journalists said the UN failed to respond to their urgent requests to condemn Iran for the harassment.
“We have asked them to make a public statement condemning Iranian actions … but there has been radio silence over the last six months despite the extreme situation,” said Caoilfhionn Gallagher, counsel for the BBC World Service.
The failure to confront Iranian excesses has encouraged other states to harass critics, she said.
She cited the actions of Belarus, which forced a Ryanair plane to divert and land in Minsk so that authorities could arrest a dissident journalist and his girlfriend. Western countries in that case accused Belarus of state piracy and on Thursday imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions.
Relatives of the journalists arrested during the campaign said Ministry of Intelligence officials had repeatedly cited the case of Ruhollah Zam, a journalist executed by Iran.
Mr Zam had been living in exile in France but was detained after travelling to Iraq last year. The regime accused him of inciting the 2017-18 protests on his website.
Kasra Naji, a correspondent for BBC News Persian, said journalists walking home from their London offices were looking over their shoulders for fear of reprisals.
He told of seeing a Twitter message in which he was described as a traitor and his family should be "taught a lesson". Female journalists have told of receiving rape threats.
“We have been thrust into this position of being vilified, threatened and persecuted so routinely that it has become a matter of life and death for us and our families,” he said.
Iran's campaign against BBC Persian started in earnest during the 2009 Iranian presidential election when the regime tried to jam the channel’s satellite broadcasts.
In 2017, Iranian authorities launched a criminal investigation into 152 current and former BBC Persian journalists, accusing them of conspiracy against national security and freezing their assets. Journalists at the London-based network Iran International have also been harassed.
The harassment of staff intensified when journalists covered the bloody purge of mass anti-government protests in November 2019.
The journalists are raising their case at the UN Human Rights Council, which is currently holding a three-week session.
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CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
