2024-03-31 23:42:30
London police announced that counter-terrorism officers are investigating a stabbing incident on Friday involving a journalist working for an independent Iranian media organization based in Britain, following previous threats from Iran against its opponents in Britain.
The British Metropolitan Police reported that the victim, a man in his thirties, was found in Wimbledon, southwest of the British capital, with injuries to his leg as a result of an assault.
She said that he was taken to the hospital in stable condition and there was no danger to his life.
Police added that the motive behind the attack is not yet clear, but investigators are looking into all possibilities, including taking into account “the victim’s job as a journalist for a Persian-language media organization based in Britain.”
She pointed to “several threats directed at this group of journalists recently.”
“Given the victim’s position and our stated concerns about the threats to employees of this organization, the Counter Terrorism Command is conducting this investigation,” said Dominic Murphy, who heads the counter-terrorism unit.
He added that investigators are still assessing the “circumstances” of the accident and are following “a number of investigative threads.”
Murphy confirmed that additional patrols will be conducted in Wimbledon and other locations in London in the coming days to reassure those concerned about the incident.
The Metropolitan Police has been investigating threats from Iran targeting journalists based in Britain and working for Persian-speaking media for several years.
The Counter-Terrorism Unit foiled what it described as plots to kidnap or even kill British individuals or residents of Britain who are seen as enemies of Tehran.
An Austrian citizen was convicted last December of spying for a group believed to be planning to attack the Persian-language channel “Iran International”.
The Iranian government classified this channel as a terrorist organization after it published reports on the protests that broke out in Iran following the death of the young woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022 after she was arrested in Tehran on charges of violating the Islamic dress code.
Last year, London unveiled a tougher sanctions regime against Iran due to the Islamic Republic’s alleged human rights violations and hostile actions against its opponents on British soil.
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2024-03-31 23:42:30