Iran arrests 5 people for working for BBC

AP: Iranian state television is reporting that authorities have arrested five people for working for the BBC’s Farsi-language service.

The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state television is reporting that authorities have arrested five people for working for the BBC’s Farsi-language service.

Monday’s report on the channel’s website says the group provided the British Broadcasting Corp. with video and negative news reports on Iran. The report did not identify them by their full names.

Iran has blocked the channel and accused it, alongside the British government, of fomenting the mass protests that broke out after Iran’s disputed presidential election in 2009. Both deny the accusation.

The BBC’s Farsi service has no office in Tehran.

Iran has detained many journalists and bloggers in recent years.