An anti-Iranian regime protester who was attacked on Friday by Raisi mourners told international media that her phone was stolen during the clashes and that it was later turned on inside Iran’s embassy in London.
London-based Iranian dissident Ellie Borhan who was injured when Iranian gov't loyalists attacked protesters outside a Friday memorial service for Raisi, told @IranIntl that her phone was snatched by the regime loyalists and was later turned on inside Iran's embassy in London. pic.twitter.com/iRfV7U9Xzz
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 25, 2024
During the Friday clashes, four people were wounded and the Metropolitan police confirmed that an arrest had been made. Investigations are ongoing.
The 43-year-old woman, Ellie Borham, told the Telegraph that she had been part of a 5 person protest demonstrating outside a ceremony for the now-deceased Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
“We were standing peacefully, and then the men came. They surrounded us. They threatened us,” she told The Telegraph. “They slapped and punched my face, my body, my legs. One of the men said: ‘We are going to kill you’.”
“It is unbelievable. Four of us were injured. This was the hands of the IRGC on UK soil,” she added.
After attending hospital for injuries sustained during the attack, she claimed “They were waiting for us outside the hospital” and that they only left once police arrived an hour later. Two cars from the pro-regime group had reportedly stalked Borham to the hospital.
Niyak Ghorbani, an Iranian anti-Hamas activist who attended the protest, claimed on Sunday that one of those wounded by the pro-regime attackers was forced to remain in hospital having sustained a spinal injury. Ghorbani stated that the protester was left unable to walk, although it is unclear if this is a temporary injury.
Given the information sent to you, why has no action been taken so far?Did you know that one of the injured is still in the hospital and still cannot stand due to a back injury?Are your interests preventing you?#HamasAreTerrorists- As Always wrong statement! https://t.co/wxNrmYBqq3
— Niyak Ghorbani (نیاک) (@GhorbaniiNiyak) May 26, 2024
IRGC reach in London
Concerns over Iran’s reach to dissidents in London has grown over the last few years. Last month, an Iranian dissident working for Iran International was stabbed by a fake Jerusalem Post reporter. While it has not been officially established if the IRGC was involved in the attack, the attackers were able to flee Britain only hours after the stabbings.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also summoned Iranian Chargé d'Affaires in London Mahdi Hosseini Matin in December over an Iranian plot to assassinate two Iran International journalists.