Protest at I.R.I funded Press TV

Around 40 British and Iranian socialists and trade unionists protested outside the west London studios of Press TV, the English language Iranian government funded TV station on Sunday 2nd of August to highlight the plight of political prisoners in Iran.

The protest at Westgate House overlooking the A40 Hanger Lane roundabout was organised by Workers' Liberty and the Worker-communist Party of Iran, Hekmatist and The 8 March Women's Organization.

In the post-election protests in Iran, thousands have been arrested and likely over a hundred people killed. Around 750 are still in prison and many have simply disappeared. Show trials of some are now taking place. Amnesty reports that four have died in prison and torture is routine, with some dying from its effects after their release.

Last Thursday there were further demonstrations in Iran to mark the 40 days since the killing of protesters including Neda Agha-Soltan. Iranian security forces were seen to beat protesters, with many arrested and one reported killed.

Press TV are accused of one-sided propaganda, with their reporting favouring the regime, whilst failing to report the protests when - thanks largely to citizen journalism for Iran - they were headlining other media around the world. The demonstrators also expressed their support for journalist Nick Ferrari who resigned his job as a presenter at Press TV and Jeremy Corbyn who withdrew from a program because of the station's biased coverage of the repression in Iran.

Among the demands made in speeches from Iranians and UK supporters in English and Farsi were the unconditional release of all political prisoners and an end to torture as well as the arrest and trial of those responsible for the attacks and killing of protesters. Protesters also called for freedom of speech, a free press, free trade unions and political organisation, as well as equal rights for women in all aspects of life, with the abolition of compulsory veiling.