The BBC has come under fire as shocked readers have demanded the broadcaster to be "defunded" after an article by the corporation described late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi's legacy as "mixed".
Raisi died on Sunday after a helicopter he was in crashed into a hillside in the north-west of the country, near its border with Azerbaijan, but he was known for leading a "torturous regime" and as a result many have "celebrated" his death.
He was widely known as the 'Butcher of Tehran'.
On Tuesday, the BBC shared an article reflecting on Raisi's "mixed legacy in Iran," which sparked an immediate backlash on X.
Several readers used the "add context" feature to point out: "Ebrahim Raisi's nickname was the 'Butcher of Tehran' as a result of his mass murder and brutal torture of political dissidents".
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Another added: "His victims, numbering in the thousands, included children."
A social media storm has seen a wave of demands to "defund" the broadcaster over the article.
The BBC described Raisi's legacy as 'mixed'
BBC/Getty/X
One person fumed: "'Hitlers mixed legacy in Germany' 'Stalins mixed legacy is Russia’ Absolutely ridiculous."
"Mixed? The good bits would be, what?" another asked, while a third commented: "Shameful. #DefundTheBBC."
"Cancel your @BBC licenses immediately, people!! Together, we can bankrupt the vile organisation #defundthebbc," another reader shared.
It comes as regulator Ofcom is "considering sanctions" against GB News over "breaking impartiality rules," which has been widely disputed.
TRhe Iranian President's funeral was held on Tuesday
Getty
In response to the BBC article, MP Andrea Jenkyns took to X to argue: "I have been campaigning for 4 years to #DefundTheBBC.
"Today's ruling about @GBNEWS demonstrates we need overhaul @Ofcom too! Clearly, there is an agenda here and an attack on common sense news broadcasting!"
Ofcom's complaints refer to a debate held on GB News People's Forum with The Prime Minister.
The regulator announced the Forum broke impartiality rules and is threatening the channel with a sanction.
Many called for the BBC to be 'defunded'
X
However, GB News stressed it could not understand how the programme lacked the “appropriately wide range of significant views” required to uphold due impartiality.
A GB News spokesman said: "Ofcom’s finding against GB News today is an alarming development in its attempt to silence us by standing in the way of a forum that allows the public to question politicians directly.
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X users fumed over the article
X
"The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital.
"GB News is the People’s Channel. That is why we created a new broadcasting format, The People’s Forum, which placed the public - not journalists - firmly in charge of questioning Rishi Sunak.
"Our live programme gave an independently selected group of undecided voters the freedom to challenge the Prime Minister without interference."
GB News has contacted BBC for a comment.
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