Complaint
Three viewers complained that these programmes dealt with events in Iran from 2009 onwards mainly from the perspective of opponents of the Iranian government, with no proper representation of pro-government views or challenge to the views of its opponents. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
The BBC’s Editorial Guidelines say due impartiality “does not require absolute neutrality on every issue or detachment from fundamental democratic principles, such as the right to vote, freedom of expression and the rule of law”. As the focus of the programmes was on those who had suffered violence as a result of exercising their right to freedom of expression there was no occasion to challenge their accounts of their experiences or to include other viewpoints, though the official Iranian position was reflected where appropriate.
Not upheld