British counter-terrorism detectives are probing the attack on a journalist who worked for a Persian-language media organisation, amid fears he was targeted because of his work, police said.
Police said the 30-year-old man was stabbed and suffered a leg injury in the incident in Wimbledon, south-west London, on Friday afternoon.
The British National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the victim was prominent Britain-based Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati, who hosts a program on the Persian-language television news network Iran International that is critical of the Iranian government .
Police said his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening and his condition is stable.
“This cowardly attack on Pouria is deeply shocking and our thoughts are with him, his family and all of his colleagues at Iran International,” Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said in a statement.
In January, Britain imposed sanctions on Iranian officials involved in death threats against journalists on British soil.
These officials were members of Unit 840 of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which, according to an investigation by ITV in Britain, was involved in plans to assassinate two Iran International television presenters in the UK.
“While we are maintaining an open mind, given the victim’s occupation and our publicized concerns about the threat to employees of this organization, the investigation is being led by Counter-Terrorism Command,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of that unit.
“I must stress that at this early stage of our investigation we do not know why this victim was attacked and there may be several explanations for this.”
There was no immediate response from Iranian authorities to the report.
British police and security officials have increasingly warned of Iran’s growing use of criminal operatives to carry out attacks abroad.
According to them, over the past two years there have been more than 15 direct threats to kill or kidnap dissidents or political opponents linked to the Iranian state apparatus.
In December, an Austrian man was convicted of gathering intelligence that could have been used in a terrorist attack after he was accused of carrying out “hostile reconnaissance” at Iran International’s headquarters in London.
“It is too early to know whether this violent attack is linked to Iran’s growing intimidation and harassment, including a plan to assassinate journalists Fardad Farahzad and Sima Sabet in 2022,” Stanistreet said.
“However, this brutal stabbing will inevitably spark fears among the many journalists targeted by Iran International and the BBC Persian Service that they are not safe at home or at work.”
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
