Hasan Fathi, Journalist, Detained In Iran Over BBC Broadcast

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency says a man has been detained after broadcasting for the British Broadcasting Corporation's Farsi-language service about an explosion at an ammunition depot.

Fars says Hasan Fathi was detained by security agents after he broadcast a live report Saturday about the blast Revolutionary Guard depot that killed at least 17 soldiers.

BBC's Farsi-language service is not authorized to operate in Iran, and working for the network is against the law.

In an emailed comment late Sunday, the BBC said it has no employees in Iran. "The service spoke to Mr. Hasan Fathi as an independent commentator, as it does to other independent journalists, academics and other public figures from Iran." The network expressed concern about Iran's "intimidating people who speak to us."

Comments

[Gui Montag]

04:16 PM on 11/14/2011

Theocracy is as theocracy does.

[Satirist1]

03:38 PM on 11/14/2011

Supporters of Iranian clerical fascist regime have no shame.

[uniwarp]

07:24 PM on 11/14/2011

no, that would be people who believe in western moral supremacy even when they are actively occupying, killing and destroying the lives of the people of the middle east; making a huge scene, throwing fake tantrums and shedding crocodile tears because a bbc spy is arrested in iran.

[Satirist1]

06:26 AM on 11/15/2011

BBC spy???!

uniwarp's mind isn't so much twisted as badly sprained.

[Satirist1]

06:34 AM on 11/15/2011

There's no question that the West has an overwhelming moral, political, economic, technological, military and cultural supremacy.
That's why you''re in the West, uniwarp. Because it offers a far,far, better life than any of your Islamic Paradises.
You know it and I know it. And millions of your fellow Muslims who are desperately trying to move to the West know it as well.

Deal with it.

[weathwoods]

01:52 PM on 11/14/2011

I don't blame Iran one bit. First, in the US and England there is a managed news system, apart from small, independent radio stations and magazines, so who are we and the Brits to complain? Second, Iran, which hasn't invaded another country in over 2 centuries, is constantly being threatened by the three bullies over their nuclear ambitions: The US, Russia and Israel. Russia invaded Iran twice in the 19th Century and grabbed territory; the Bolsheviks forced a treaty on Iran that gave them the right to invade, if foreign troops were using Iran for an attack on Russia; the US overthrew Iran's democracy in 1953, then our CIA and Israel's Mossad devised the Shah's secret police, the SAVAK, to which the CIA taught Nazi torture techniques such as dripping acid in its victim's nostrils. Americans should read history. Iran is not the problem.

[Satirist1]

03:29 PM on 11/14/2011

Immoral support of Iranian suppression of free speech of its citizens.

No rational person thinks its OK for U.S. citizens to arrested for speaking to BBC,
Your patronizingly lower standard of liberty to non-Western peoples is unethical and reactionary. At best.

[weathwoods]

12:06 PM on 11/15/2011

Any country that is subject to the pressures we put on them is apt to act paranoid. Consider the American people and how we allowed Bush/Cheney and the Zionist neocons to foist the Patriot Act on us after 9/11. Besides, BBC is government owned and therefore suspect. As to your opinion that I have a "patronizingly lower standard of liberty to non-Western peoples," apparently you did not read my post very carefully. It is not I but our government that has contempt for other peoples' liberties.

[uniwarp]

10:31 AM on 11/14/2011

no government is mandated to tolerate foreign agencies that act on behalf of foreign governments' interests, freely polluting the airwaves. a quick glance of the bbc history reveals that foreign language services have only acted as propaganda outlets... this is not up for dispute as bbc foreign services are actually funded directly by the british government making them legally and without a doubt agents of the british government.

[uniwarp]

10:38 AM on 11/14/2011

the annual budget of £15 million is funded by the foreign and commonwealth office http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_and_Commonwealth_Office The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.

[soodeeell]

04:13 PM on 11/14/2011

You're saying he wouldn't have been arrested if the report had been for CNN or another independent news organization?

[kazio]

04:40 PM on 11/14/2011

based on what you are saying, I suppose you agree with the shutting down of PressTV in the UK?

[onlitrade]

10:07 AM on 11/14/2011

As usual the pro Islamist commenters are defending the Iranian immorality to suppress freedom of speech. When does reporting of the facts become anti iranian? What these hypocrites refuse to acknowledge is if they were living in Iran they would be punished if they criticized their government the way they do to in countries where the right of freedom of speech is guaranteed and protected. If they feel so strongly against the laws under which they live they have the opportunity to move to countries like Iran and enjoy the Iranian way of life. They should give this idea some serious thought, after reading many of their comments it appears they would be much happier living under those conditions.

[uniwarp]

10:34 AM on 11/14/2011

bbc is not a news agency... they are funded directly by the british government, which makes them an agent of a foreign government. it is not mandated to any sovereign government to tolerate agents of foreign governments under the auspices of free speech. this is a case, even the most brainwashed of americans can understand without much difficulty.

[soodeeell]

04:14 PM on 11/14/2011

I repeat my question to you uniwarp: Do you assert that he would not have been arrested if the report had been for CNN or another independen­t news organizati­on?

[JuanJeremy]

08:51 AM on 11/14/2011

they have different laws in different countries. if a foreign country started broadcasting subvesive radio programs in the us or britain they would take action, so why shouldnt iran be able to do the same thing. western countries need to start shown other countries the same respect that the ask for themselves

[JoGo3338]

09:21 AM on 11/14/2011

You are kidding, right? You compare Iran to the US? If they treated anyone as the US treats anyone, they wouldn't be arresting someone for reporting what went on there..they kill protestors..now you are going to say we kill protestors?

[uniwarp]

08:43 AM on 11/14/2011

you work for the "british b...t corporation", you pay the price...

[Satirist1]

09:10 AM on 11/14/2011

Translation: Anything that Iranian rulers ever do to oppress their citizens uniwarp supports..Always.

[uniwarp]

09:21 AM on 11/14/2011

because bbc is there to free the iranian people... riiight...

[Rick Huggins]

08:15 AM on 11/14/2011

I hate to say it, but the clock is ticking for Iran. Or I guess ,I should say, against her. The utltimate outcome is the distruction of a Persian people lead into the obiss of distruction from their lunitick religious charlatans.
Diplomacy, will only slow the inevitable.

[uniwarp]

08:44 AM on 11/14/2011

don't hold your breath... iran will prevail, it has for millenia.

[Satirist1]

09:12 AM on 11/14/2011

Iran, yes
Iranian Islamic Republic-- nope. It''s on it's last legs

[Rick Huggins]

03:15 PM on 11/14/2011

Yep, but what has it prevailed , to. ? Maybe a backwater of human civilization, not much else.

[thinkermom]

07:48 AM on 11/14/2011

Can we really blame Iran if they do not want foreign reporters from the West in their country? Seems we are continually treated to anti-Iran stories in our media.

[Satirist1]

09:15 AM on 11/14/2011

Hasan Fathi is not a 'foreign reporter" He is Iranian.
Your protection of suppression of free speech in Iran is immoral.

[uniwarp]

10:24 AM on 11/14/2011

a passport doesn't designate your nationality... and bbc is not an agency that promotes free speech, it's only function is to regurtitate mi5/mi6 talking points.

[Gui Montag]

04:17 PM on 11/14/2011

We can blame Iran for suppressing freedom in their country. And I do.

[thinkermom]

07:44 AM on 11/14/2011

I do not blame Iran for not wanting foreign reporters who just seem to be looking for anti-Iran stories. Why are we not given a balance instead of all negative reports on this country. Let's get some coverage on their government's point of view.

[Satirist1]

09:16 AM on 11/14/2011

Another immoral support of Iranian suppression of free speech of their people.

[uniwarp]

10:26 AM on 11/14/2011

bbc farsi is not part of iranian people... the suppression of their activities therefore doesn't constitute suppression of free speech of iranians.

[JoGo3338]

09:26 AM on 11/14/2011

What positives do you think there might be? They kill protestors, imprison anyone who goes against them..they do not have freedoms and they are seeking a nuclear weapon..and no, nor for one minute do I believe their nuclear aspirations are peaceful..this is a violent and restrictive country..not much good to report..their protestors are pleading for support and help..people there want human rights..what else do you want to know..do you think all the bad is made up? Israel will be the one to knock out their nuclear facilities and the world will silently, let out a sigh of relief..nobody will want to admit that they appreciate that one country will stand up to Iran..in the whole world..Iran is the trouble in Syria and a lot of the Middle East.

[jarsd43]

06:15 AM on 11/14/2011

The Iranians have a long history of holding small amounts of people as if it were some big deal that they bluster over. We are supposed to care but the truth is we don't. Sorry Iran but you have beat your 'mighty" chests over such minuscule things and people it really doesn't matter to anyone now. It is just news filler when there is noting else to report.

[uniwarp]

08:46 AM on 11/14/2011

and you prove your point by posting a message on news about iran, genius.

[jarsd43]

10:10 AM on 11/14/2011

You too brilliant!

[NewAmericanCenturySucks]

02:52 AM on 11/14/2011

Be wary of "journalism" that insinuates much more than it reports.

Cause the fiIthy rich are beating their wardrums.
Again.

And we wouldn't want to be duped.
Again.

[Satirist1]

09:18 AM on 11/14/2011

Your denial of free speech to Iranian people is unethical and immoral.
Deal with it.

[uniwarp]

10:26 AM on 11/14/2011

bbc is not part of iranian society... their speech is not iranian speech.

[NewAmericanCenturySucks]

11:13 AM on 11/14/2011

I applaud the free flow of facts; my objection was to its distortion, by media moguls with agendas.

I wish we ALL heard a LOT more from the people of Iran. But firsthand, and grassroots - not filtered through the same media lens that once portrayed Ahmed Chalabi as the "George Washington of Iraq".

[Highly Opinionated]

02:13 AM on 11/14/2011

If you crawl down into a pit of nasty snakes known to bite, don't be surprised if you get snake bit.

[rocknhula]

12:52 AM on 11/14/2011

Ha ha ha! Lots of explosions going off in Iran right now. Guess who?

[Satirist1]

09:18 AM on 11/14/2011

Inept Iranians.

[Chestnut horse]

12:29 AM on 11/14/2011

Its against the law to report the truth in Iran. Explosion? What explosion? "We were just burning leaves."