BBC says Iran freezes local assets of Farsi service staff

DUBAI: The BBC says an Iranian court order has frozen the local assets of over 150 people associated with its Farsi-language service.

A statement from the British broadcaster on Tuesday says those named in the court order, issued from Tehran’s Evin prison, include current and former staff, as well as contributors.

The BBC says the order bans those named from “selling or buying property, cars and other goods.”

BBC World Service director Francesca Unsworth says it’s “appalling that anyone should suffer legal or financial consequences because of their association with the BBC.”

Iranian officials and state media did not immediately report on the order.