Iran says UK parliament's push to ban Iranians unconstructive

Iran has warned the UK parliament of its “unconstructive” push to impose sanctions on some Iranian individuals, saying it will only add more complications to the existing situation.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh was reacting on Friday to a move by British parliamentarians to read out the names of three Iranians who they believe should be added to the sanctions list over ‘human rights’ accusations.

He said Iran is informed about British parliamentarians' push to ban three Iranian citizens. "We strongly reject the baseless and unfounded accusations leveled against our compatriots."

The Iranian official emphasized that the British government is certainly aware that any unconstructive measure in this case and similar ones will "directly complicate the circumstances."

During the Wednesday session of Britain's House of Commons, Labour MP Chris Bryant, who co-chairs the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Magnitsky Sanctions, read a list of Iranian individuals, including Ali Rezvani, a reporter and producer working for Iran’s official Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The British government accused Rezvani, who is an Iranian state-media journalist for the popular and highly-watched ‘20:30 News’ program, of being involved in the “interrogation of detainees,” and broadcasting their “forced confessions,” as well as spreading “misinformation regarding political prisoners, dissidents and hostages.”

The Iranian reporter was also accused of working with intelligence agencies and “peddling propaganda” on detained dual and foreign nationals.

Violating free media and free speech principles, the Western governments have over the past years targeted Iranian news channels, media outlets and journalists with restrictive measures, such as sanctions.

The allegations against the Iranian reporter come against a dismal backdrop by the British government to muzzle free speech and disregard the rights of minorities as well as helping totalitarian governments in other countries to suppress their people.

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