Iran’s most senior diplomat in Britain has denied claims that the Iranian government was behind the knife attack on a TV presenter in London, amid growing concerns about threats against dissidents.
The country’s charge d’affaires, Mehdi Hosseini Matin, said Iran “denies any connection” to the stabbing of Iran International presenter Puglia Zehrati, 36, outside her Wimbledon home on Friday. ” he said. His condition is stable and he is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.
The Metropolitan Police said it had not yet established a motive for the attack, but given Zehrati’s work and recent threats against British-based Iranian journalists, the investigation was being led by counter-terrorism officers. He said it would happen.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Martin said Iran “has nothing to do with this so-called journalist’s story.” He called it “bizarre and suspicious” that a newspaper had accused Iran of being behind the attack, and said there was “no evidence” for the claim.
Iran’s denial comes amid growing concerns about the safety of Iranian dissidents in the UK. Staff at Iran International, which broadcasts in Farsi and provides independent reporting on Iran, are reportedly under threat from the Iranian regime, which considers Iran a terrorist organization.
Adam Bailey, a spokesperson for the channel, said: “Following a credible threat against an individual and subsequent visit from counter-terrorism police and the Metropolitan Police, precautions must be taken. It is extremely concerning. That’s what you should do.”
he said this observer Zelati said he was outside his home when he was attacked by two unidentified men who stabbed the journalist multiple times and then jumped into a waiting getaway car.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art said it was called just before 3pm on Friday and found a man in his 30s with a leg injury. No arrests have been made.
Bailey said previous threats against Iranian international staff indicated the possibility of a planned attack.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) does not leave fingerprints. Why would they do that? They operate through certain third parties, which is easy for them. , can operate in any city they like. They will never leave a paper trail between the attack and themselves, ”he said. “While on the surface it appears to be a planned attack, they have a motive to carry out their threat.”
Sima Sabet, one of Zehrati’s former colleagues at Iran International, said: observer She had been advised by the Metropolitan Police Department to leave her home immediately after the Zelati attack.
In December 2023, an ITV investigation announced that Sabet and her colleague Fardad Farazad were the targets of a failed assassination plot planned for autumn 2022.
The report said the original car bomb plan was changed at the last minute and a knife attack was considered by “Leaders of the Revolutionary Guards.”
Regarding the attack on Zelati, Sabet said: With a knife. ”
She accused the British government of failing to respond decisively to Iranian threats against British journalists. “When I heard about the attack on Puglia, I was really angry. A few months ago, there was a plan to assassinate me, but the plan failed because the attackers exposed the plan. It was so close. Since then, nothing has been done to prevent attacks on journalists,” she said. “We continue to receive threats…and no one is prepared to do anything to stop these threats.”
Following the attempts to target Sabet and Farazad, the UK and US announced sanctions to address domestic threats posed by the Iranian regime, which it described as “exporting repression, harassment and coercion against journalists and human rights defenders.” stated that it is aimed at.
Sanctioned Iranian officials and members of Revolutionary Guards Unit 840 were accused of coordinating threats against Iran internationally. The UK government said the plot was the latest credible example of Iran’s attempt to kill or intimidate British nationals or people associated with the UK, and that there had been at least 15 similar threats since January 2022. said.
In a separate case, an IT official was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for spying on the London headquarters of Iran’s international organization before a “planned attack” on mainland Britain in December 2023. Chechen-born Austrian Magomed Hussein Dokhtaev was found guilty at the Old Bailey of attempting to gather intelligence for terrorist purposes.
Iranian dissidents living in mainland Britain have previously observer They do not feel safe in the country and feel that Iranian authorities are carrying out cross-border repression to silence them.
Soudabeh, an Iranian student based in the UK, was arrested in Manchester by the morality police on suspicion of not wearing a hijab, following the death of Martha Amini, who died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody in Tehran. He said he received several threats after participating in the protests. .
Following the attack on Zehrati, Soudabeh said that she and the Iranian government have faced “harassment, intimidation, intimidation, physical attacks, and character assassination in both the virtual and real world.” He said it was a reality for others who spoke out. “In my case, no effective action was ever taken, even though she lodged a complaint with British police and was physically assaulted,” she said.
A Met spokeswoman said the investigation into the attack on Ms Zelati was still at a “very early stage” and they were working to determine a motive.
