LONDON: Britain on Friday hauled in a senior Iranian diplomat after what it described as death threats against journalists living in the UK, following weeks of anti-regime protests.
The move coincided with Melika Balali, 22, an Iranian-born wrestler now based in Scotland, receiving police protection after accusations that she too had been threatened by the Tehran regime.
“I have summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires today after journalists working in the UK were subject to immediate threats to life from Iran,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted.
“We do not tolerate threats and intimidation from foreign nations toward individuals living in the UK,” he said.
Two British-Iranian journalists working in the UK for an independent Farsi-language channel have received “credible” death threats from Iran’s security forces, the channel’s broadcaster said on Monday.
Volant Media, the London-based broadcaster of Iran International TV channel, said the pair had received “death threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
The channel has been covering the anti-regime protests in Iran following the death in mid-September of Mahsa Amini for allegedly breaching strict dress rules for women.
Volant Media said London’s Metropolitan Police force had also notified other journalists of threats. The Met refused to comment.
But Police Scotland confirmed Friday that it had instituted a “safety plan” to protect Balali, who moved to Scotland a year ago and now represents her adopted country in UK competitions.
When she won gold for Scotland at the British Wrestling Championships in June, Balali held up a sign saying “stop forcing hijab” and “I have the right to be a wrestler.”
Amini, who was also 22, died in police custody after her arrest for allegedly wearing the hijab “improperly.”
Balali recently shaved her head at a protest in Glasgow, in an act of solidarity with the ongoing protests in Iran over women’s rights.
“These threats make me stronger. When I receive threats from the government of Iran I just think my way is right — if I were wrong, why would they threaten me?” the wrestler told BBC Scotland.
Iran has warned Britain it will “pay” for what it labelled its actions to destabilize the Islamic republic in the protests sparked by Amini’s death, state media reported Wednesday.
Iran says Britain harbors hostile Farsi-language media reporting on the protests. The BBC in turn has accused Tehran of waging a campaign of threats and intimidation against its Persian service.
UK summons Iranian diplomat over threats to journalists
https://arab.news/n2crc
UK summons Iranian diplomat over threats to journalists
- Two British-Iranian journalists working in the UK for an independent Farsi-language channel have received "credible" death threats from Iran's security forces
- The channel has been covering the anti-regime protests in Iran following the death in mid-September of Mahsa Amini
Paris exhibition marks 200 years of Le Figaro and the enduring power of the press
- The exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive
PARIS: One of France’s most influential newspapers marked a major milestone this month with a landmark exhibition beneath the soaring glass nave of the Grand Palais, tracing two centuries of journalism, literature and political debate.
Titled 1826–2026: 200 years of freedom, the exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive. Held over three days in mid-January, the free exhibition drew large crowds eager to explore how the title has both chronicled and shaped modern French history.
More than 300 original items were displayed, including historic front pages, photographs, illustrations and handwritten manuscripts. Together, they charted Le Figaro’s evolution from a 19th-century satirical publication into a leading national daily, reflecting eras of revolution, war, cultural change and technological disruption.
The exhibition unfolded across a series of thematic spaces, guiding visitors through defining moments in the paper’s past — from its literary golden age to its role in political debate and its transition into the digital era. Particular attention was paid to the newspaper’s long association with prominent writers and intellectuals, underscoring the close relationship between journalism and cultural life in France.
Beyond the displays, the program extended into live journalism. Public editorial meetings, panel discussions and film screenings invited audiences to engage directly with editors, writers and media figures, turning the exhibition into a forum for debate about the future of the press and freedom of expression.
Hosted at the Grand Palais, the setting itself reinforced the exhibition’s ambition: to place journalism firmly within the country’s cultural heritage. While the exhibition has now concluded, the bicentennial celebrations continue through special publications and broadcasts, reaffirming Le Figaro’s place in France’s public life — and the enduring relevance of a free and questioning press in an age of rapid change.
