Cartoon 43: Inventing the BBC Connection

Inventing the BBC Connection

In the last week of January, Iranian security forces arrested at least 16 journalists and charged them with “spying and ties with foreign news organizations.” Iranian authorities are accusing the journalists of working with the Persian-language services of the BBC and Voice of America, based in the UK and the US, respectively.

None of the arrested journalists has any known ties with any foreign news organizations. All wrote for Iranian newspapers, some which have been critical of the regime. Journalist Pouria Alami, depicted here, wrote a regular column in Shargh newspaper, which has protested his arrest and detention.