UK protesters call for closure of Iranian Embassy
British protesters are calling for the closure of the Embassy after accusing Tehran of having caused “bloodshed” and “torturing civilians” following the execution order for more than 15,000 political prisoners in Iran.
According to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran, the protests have taken place in more than 125 cities, with at least 270 people killed and nearly 14,000 arrested.
On Saturday, 19th October, Londoners, alongside Iranians from all over the UK gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Kensington to ask the British government to shut the Embassy and aid the support for permanent regime change. With the death toll rising in Iran’s provinces such as Sistan and Baluchestan, Arak, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan and Tehran, more and more protesters are joining the WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM movement across the globe, and last Saturday, it was London’s turn once again.
Iranians with many political and cultural backgrounds united under one banner demanding the immediate shutdown of the Iranian Embassy, the removal of Khamenei, and the twelve Shia state governing systems from Iran.
Last week, Iran said it sanctioned several media outlets in the UK for “supporting terrorism” and “inciting violence,” reported Tasnim news agency. The sanctioned entities include, among others, Volant Media, Global Media, and DMA Media, and the “anti-Iranian TV channels” that the companies support, such as Iran International, reported the Tasnim agency.
In their sixth week, protests have swept through the Islamic Republic following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died on 16th September after being detained by “morality police” and taken to a “re-education centre,” allegedly for not abiding by the country’s conservative dress code.
As the protests rage, Iran is turning up the heat on its adversaries, mainly the United States and Israel. But last week, Saudi Arabia found itself in the line of fire, which risks further complicating attempts by the two regional rivals to mend ties.
Riyadh hasn’t publicly commented on the protests. However, the kingdom’s foreign minister Mishaal Al-Salami refused to give his view during an interview with the Al Arabiya news channel on 12th October; “Saudi Arabia has a fixed policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of states,” he said. “Surely, we are following [the situation], and we wish Iran and its people the best.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia severed ties in 2016, and both parties have backed opposite sides in proxy conflicts across the Middle East. Last year, they began direct talks in an attempt to improve relations. Baghdad has hosted five rounds of talks so far, the last of which was held in April.
At the heart of Iran’s most recent accusations against Saudi Arabia may be Iran International, a Persian-language news channel that broadcasts from London. The channel has become one of the go-to sources for many Persian speakers looking for news on the protests. It has been at the forefront of covering the demonstrations, getting breaking news and exclusive footage of the events. Its Twitter account has over a million followers.
Founded in 2017, Iran International has previously been scrutinised by the Iranian government. Some say it is due to their coverage of the protests at home, which have rocked the Islamic Republic in recent weeks.
Al-Salami didn’t name the channel in his warning, but government-backed Iranian media last week accused Saudi Arabia of funding it. Saudi Arabia has not addressed the allegations. Karim Sa djadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank in Washington DC, said on Twitter that Iran has demanded shuttering of the channel in talks with Saudi Arabia, citing a senior Gulf official.
In 2018, Iran International released a statement denying connections to any government, including Saudi Arabia or Iran, after The Guardian reported that it was funded by a firm whose director has ties to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia did not comment on the Guardian report. The Saudi government did not respond to CNN’s request for comment; “We have heard these accusations before, most often promoted by those in whose interests it is to the free press,” a spokesperson for Volant Media told CNN.
By Rudy Garrison
