BBC staff to testify at UN on Iran targeting Persian service

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The BBC says its journalists will appeal for the first time to the United Nations over what the British broadcaster describes as the "persecution and harassment" of those affiliated with its Persian service by Iran.

BBC director-general Tony Hall said in a statement Monday that journalists will describe the worsening "collective punishment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families."

Hall added: "We are not the only media organization to have been harassed or forced to compromise when dealing with Iran. In truth, this story is much wider: it is a story about fundamental human rights."

Iranian state media did not immediately report on the BBC's decision.

The BBC filed a complaint in October over Iran freezing the assets of more than 150 people associated with its Persian service.