"BBC criticised for ‘absurd’ obituary of ‘Butcher of Tehran’ Raisi

Broadcaster says Iranian ‘mass killer’ left a ‘mixed legacy’, describing him as ‘the president of the unprivileged and poor’"

Telegraph: 21st May 2024: Another instance of criticism of BBC appearing in the newspaper

"The BBC is facing criticism for saying Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s hardline president who died in a helicopter crash, left a “mixed legacy”...An obituary published by the broadcaster described the former leader, who was confirmed dead on Monday, as a figure “loved by hardliners of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

“President Ebrahim Raisi’s mixed legacy in Iran,” the BBC’s World Service’s social media post promoting the article read...

...Raisi earned a fearsome reputation as the “Butcher of Tehran” for his role on the so-called “death committee”... The BBC described him as “the president of the unprivileged and poor”, citing depictions by Iranian state media...Security minister Tom Tugendhat said the piece was “absurd”... Gabriel Noronha, the US state department’s former Iran adviser, said the BBC should receive the “worst obituary award for noting Raisi’s leadership to ‘reform in processing a backlog of court cases’”.

...The satirical Sunday Sport newspaper joked that the BBC would likely describe Adolf Hitler as an “often-controversial German statesman” in modern-day reporting of the Nazi leader’s death..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE