The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights has issued a stark warning that Iran is one of the most significant perpetrators of transnational repression in the United Kingdom, according to its seventh report presented on 1 September 2025.
Presenting the findings, Alex Sobel MP (Lab/Co-op), who spoke on behalf of the Committee, said there was “credible evidence” that the regime in Iran has intensified its campaign of intimidation, surveillance, and harassment against dissidents, journalists, and opposition groups based in the UK.
“MI5 and counter-terrorism police have dealt with more than 20 threat-to-life cases relating to Iran since the start of 2022,” Sobel told MPs, describing Tehran’s activities as a “serious and under-recognized threat” to fundamental freedoms.
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A key case cited in the report involved Hossein Abedini, Deputy Director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) London Office, who narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Turkey.
“Mr. Abedini was very nearly killed — not in the UK but in Turkey, which still constitutes transnational repression because he was not in Iran,” Sobel explained. “He was only saved because the gun jammed on the third shot when he was attacked.”
Jim Shannon MP (DUP), Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief, raised concerns about Iran’s targeting of opposition groups in exile, including supporters of NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi and her Ten-Point Plan for a democratic Iran.
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“I am personally aware of some of the repression and spying that they experience,” Shannon said, urging Parliament to take a firmer stance to protect Iranian activists living in the UK.
The Committee’s report warned that Iran’s repression extends beyond direct targets, creating a “broader chilling effect” on entire communities and silencing activists who fear retaliation against their families abroad.
The report recommends expanding sanctions against Iranian officials, improving police training to identify and respond to such threats, and establishing a dedicated reporting hotline for victims. Sobel emphasized: “Transnational repression undermines freedom of expression, assembly, and association. We must ensure that dissidents and journalists who find refuge here can live without fear.”
The findings come amid growing UK-Iran tensions, with Parliament warning that Tehran’s escalating campaign poses a direct threat to national security and the safety of exiled Iranian communities.