In order to protest what it called the role of London-based Persian language media in “instigating riots” in the country, Iran has summoned the British ambassador to Tehran.
The envoy was summoned in response to a “hostile environment” created by Persian language media based in London against Iran in the wake of the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman in police custody, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
After being detained and taken to the headquarters of the morality police in Tehran last week, Mahsa Amini died in mysterious circumstances.
Mahsa Amini’s family claims she was beaten in police custody, which has fueled angry protests across Iran in recent days and drawn condemnation from across the world, including the UK. Meanwhile, authorities maintain that she died of cardiac arrest.
The incident and the subsequent protests have been widely covered by London-based Persian language media, including Iran International and BBC Persian, which Iranian officials believe led to protests turning violent.
At least 41 people have been killed in the protests, which have in recent days taken a violent turn, especially in the capital Tehran.
