(ANSA) — LONDON, FEBRUARY 18 — Independent network Iran International TV has shut down its London studios following a “significant escalation in threats posed by Iran.” The broadcaster announced this itself and explained that the warning came directly from the British police.
“I can’t believe it has come to this,” said the channel’s director general, Mahmood Enayat, adding that broadcasts would continue from offices in Washington.
“Be aware that this is not just a threat to our television network, but to the British public as a whole.
More than that, this is an attack on the values of sovereignty, security and freedom of expression that the UK will always hold dear,” Enayat added. According to a source, the decision was made on Friday following the arrest last weekend of one The Austrian -Iranian man near TV studios Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 30, was accused of “collecting information that may be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism,” police said.
In November, police erected concrete barriers outside the studios, similar to those at major government buildings and tourist attractions in the British capital, to deter vehicular attacks. Police said that despite the man’s arrest, “we still have serious concerns for the safety of the people who work at this company.” “This has prompted us to provide further advice and the company is now moving,” he said, adding that his warning was “excellent” and not “easily given”. (HAND).
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