Andrew Marr: What more can Britain do to help the brave protesters in Iran while they face death penalty?

16 November 2022, 18:11 | Updated: 16 November 2022, 18:15

Andrew Marr warns of 'reign of terror' in Iran

Andrew Marr asks how else Britain can help protesters threatening to bring Iran's theocratic regime crashing down - as MI5 warned of Tehran's threats against people in the UK.

Speaking at the top of Wednesday's Tonight with Andrew Marr, he said: "Week-by-week on this show I've done my best to bring you news about genuine threats to this country coming from outside - the role of secret Chinese police stations, for instance, or Russian oligarchs trying to buy their way into our politics.

"Today's focus has been on a different but equally serious threat, that from Iran as it faces what looks like a popular revolution against its religious leaders.

"The behaviour of Iran's highly aggressive security services was picked out in a speech this morning by the director general of MI5 Ken McCallum.

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"Now there had been reports circulated around the world that the Iranian parliament had a voted to impose the death penalty on protesters, many of them young women, who want the right who dress and go where they want.

"Given that something like 15,000 people have certainly been arrested in the current wave of protests, waving the death penalty at them sounds utterly horrific. It also seems to be a wild exaggeration - only one execution has been carried out so far, though more are expected.

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"Here in Britain, two journalists have had credible death threats issued against them, leading the Conservative MP Bob Blackman to call for Iran's Revolutionary Guard to be designated a terrorist organisation.

"In an urgent question in The Commons this afternoon, Mr Blackman described what is beginning to look like a reign of terror in Iran.

"So what more, if anything, can Britain do to help the incredibly brave protesters on the streets of Iran, more than 350 of whom have been killed - and how seriously should we take MI5’s warning about an Iranian threat on the streets of Britain?"