Masih Alinejad, a political activist, slammed the relocation of Iran International’s activities from the London office to Washington due to the UK’s inability to protect its citizens on its soil.
In an article in Time magazine, she urged the British government to take more measures to stop the IRGC and its terrorist activities around the world.
“The situation in the UK had already become so dire that Iran International—a Persian language media outlet which has invited the chagrin of the regime for daring to beam reliable news into Iran via satellite—was forced to flee the UK,” added Alinejad.
She went on to question how the UK, with one of the most sophisticated security apparatuses in the world, cannot even protect people on its own soil.
The authorities of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly threatened Iran International and its employees, significantly following the coverage of the Iranian people's uprising in recent months.
Alinejad, who has had multiple threats on her life from the IRGC and was recently under 24-hour police protection during a UK visit, said: “The UK has not even punished the Islamic Republic after its own citizens were maimed and killed. For instance, in July 2021 after the IRGC’s Aerospace Force attacked the Mercer Street commercial vessel killing two European nationals, including one British citizen, not even one sanction was levied on the Islamic Republic.”
The challenge facing Europe is not only about protecting its own citizens but also about standing up for the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, underlined Alinejad.
She said by designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the UK prime minister can send a powerful message that he will not tolerate state-sponsored terrorism and will defend those who fight for justice and liberty.