The Persian-language news outlet Iran International has publicly accused the Iranian government of abducting the family of one of its journalists in an apparent attempt to intimidate and silence its reporting on the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.
In a strongly worded statement released over the weekend, the London-based broadcaster condemned what it described as “An appalling act of hostage-taking aimed at coercing our colleague into resigning from their post.”
“This deeply reprehensible tactic marks a dangerous escalation in the regime’s ruthless campaign to silence dissent and suppress independent journalism,” the statement read.
According to Iran International, agents from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forcibly detained the journalist’s mother, father, and younger brother, subsequently transferring them to an undisclosed location.
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Shortly after their abduction, the journalist — whose name is being withheld for security reasons — received a chilling phone call from her father, during which IRGC agents were audibly dictating his message.
“I’ve told you a thousand times to resign. What other consequences do you expect? You have to resign,” the father was heard saying.
This incident reflects what human rights experts describe as a pattern of transnational repression, where Iranian authorities attempt to pressure foreign-based Iranian journalists by targeting their relatives inside Iran.
Iran has long ranked among the world’s worst countries for press freedom, according to global watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Independent journalism inside the country faces severe censorship, arbitrary detention, and now, as Iran International asserts, cross-border coercion.
Iran International, which has been targeted by Tehran in the past — including alleged plots to assassinate its staff in the UK — is urging the international community to take immediate action.
“We call on global human rights institutions, press freedom organisations, and democratic governments to unequivocally condemn this hostage situation and demand the immediate release of our colleague’s family,” the network stated.
Legal experts and press freedom advocates are now urging bodies such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the European Court of Human Rights to investigate this case and pressure Iran to cease its transnational threats against journalists.
