Iran arrests 4 state TV staff for insulting Sunni caliph in rare move

Audio By Carbonatix

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian authorities on Thursday arrested four staff members of state TV, accusing them of insulting the first caliph of Sunni Muslims and close ally of the Prophet Muhammad, state TV reported.

Earlier in the day, state TV issued an apology and said eight staff members were dismissed following a Wednesday program that allegedly insulted Abu Bakr, the first caliph, who ruled from 632 until 634 after the death of Muhammad and was also his father-in-law.

In the program a guest allegedly described Abu Bakr as “cursed and snide,” claiming to curse the caliph during daily prayers.

The head of the state broadcasting company, Peiman Jebeli, took to the social media platform X to condemn the insult as “sedition” and “unforgivable wrongdoing.”

It is the first instance in decades that Iranian authorities openly prosecute staff from the state broadcasting company.

In 1989, authorities prosecuted five staff members of the company for broadcasting a radio report where a woman said Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, was not a suitable role model for women since she lived centuries ago. The prosecution reportedly resulted in lashes and the purging of the staff.

Official reports estimate that up to 10 percent of the nation's 85 million people are Sunni Muslims who highly respect the caliph.