The shadow of "Saw and Acid" over the BBC Persian reporter
The history of the Saudi court's treatment of critical journalists has strengthened the suspicion in media circles that from now on Rana Rahimpour's name should also be assumed to be registered in the list of Saudi Arabia's terror apparatus.
NOURNEWS - Following the release of the audio file of BBC Persian interpreter, Rana Rahimpour and the reactions to it, while confirming its authenticity, she claimed that the published audio file is related to her conversation with her mother.
In the first audio file, she tells her mother: "The disturbing news that I heard is that the heads of the Iran International TV, have ordered that only the leaders of the parties be interviewed.
This is cause for concern. The countries of the region do not want a democratic Iran. If Iran becomes democratic and the women's movement starts and they get their rights, the first place that will panic is Saudi Arabia.
They are not looking for the future of Iran. They want a fragmented and weakened Iran and they are beating this drum."
In the second audio file, which was published two days later, Rahimpour said: "The violence I saw from a series of these young men and women in the past two or three days is really scary. I even had a panic attack one night. If it continues like this, it will lead to civil war."
In the following, she wrote in the style of a statement on her Instagram page, criticizing the interactions that happened to her. A few hours after the publication of this article, Rana Rahimpour's Instagram account was unavailable.
Although the scope of the revelation of the audio files of Rana Rahimpour continues, but on the other side of this incident, the conflict between the BBC Persian and Iran International TV, after the release of the audio file was reflected even more than the content of the audio file.
The scope of Iran International's conflict with Rana Rahimpour increased to the point that BBC Persian officially reacted to it and defended its reporter.
Iran International's very nervous and angry treatment towards Rana Rahimpour even strengthened the suspicion that the reaction of this media affiliated to Saudi Arabia will not be limited in the scope of media actions, and the possibility of future dangers for this reporter who crossed the International's red lines, is expected.
The history of the Saudi court's treatment of critical journalists has strengthened the suspicion in media circles that from now on Rana Rahimpour's name should also be assumed to be registered in the list of Saudi Arabia's terror apparatus.
Saudi Arabia has already shown its response to critical media activists with iron fist, through the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist with two citizenships, who was dissolved in acid in 2018 at the order of Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul after being cut into pieces with a saw.
Regarding the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, what has been established as the reason for his assassination is the publication of two documentary reports in The Guardian and the disclosure of the financing of Iran International TV by the Saudi Arabian court.
Considering the case of Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, the international community did not take any effective deterrent measures after identifying the perpetrators of the assassination and even ignored its follow-up, a similar action can be taken in the case of Rana Rahimpour, a BBC Persian reporter, that with her statements exposed one of the most important security-media projects of Saudi Arabia, as supporting the disintegration of Iran.
In the meantime, the deal between the United States of America and Saudi Arabia and the silence regarding the medieval assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, who was a citizen of the United States and a colleague of one of the most important media outlets in America - The Washington Post - shows that critical journalists of Saudi Arabia cannot hope for the support from those who claim supporting free flow of information and human rights, because economic interests and political conflicts are the most important components in the decision-making and reaction of these countries to various phenomena.
BY: Pooya Mirzaei
NOUNEWS