³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is aware of reports in the Iranian media alleging that persons working for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian service have been arrested in Iran.

The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ would like to stress that the six filmmakers currently detained in Iran are not ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ staffers. The individuals in question are independent documentary filmmakers whose films have been screened in festivals and other venues internationally. As is common practice for the channel's documentary showcase programme, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian television bought the rights to broadcast these films.

Liliane Landor, Controller, Languages, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Global News, said: "It is common practice for television channels to buy broadcast rights to independent films. This is certainly the case with the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian whose acclaimed documentary showcase buys the broadcast rights to tens of documentaries form independent Iranian filmmakers each year.  These films were independently produced and had not been commissioned by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian."

Ms Landor went on to say: "We consider this to be part of ongoing efforts by the Iranian government to put pressure on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for the impartial and balanced coverage of its Persian-language TV of events in Iran and the wider region."

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian television has been subject to increasing and aggressive jamming from within Iran. The channel has suffered deliberate attempts to interfere with its signal intermittently since its launch in 2009. The interference intensified on the evening Saturday 17 September just as the channel had begun broadcasting a documentary about Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

In a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ statement on 7 September 2011, Peter Horrocks, Director ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Global News, condemned the jamming and said: "We call on those of influence to do all they can to impress upon Iran the illegal nature of the jamming and the need to cease this activity immediately."

Liliane Landor expressed concern about the situation of the six documentary filmmakers detained in Iran, saying: "Our thoughts are with the filmmakers and their families."

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Press Office