London (AFP)

The BBC announced on Friday that it was launching an investigation into a complaint by a human rights activist accusing the British public service broadcasting service of homophobia.

Peter Tatchell claims he contacted BBC World Service after his BBC Persian branch reposted an October 2018 column on his site last month that contained offensive Farsi language to describe the gay community.

According to the activist, this post was changed after several complaints, but a video broadcast on the Persian BBC television channel, mocking an event related to the London Pride March 2019, is still online.

"A column written by an outside contributor was amended on our website, with a mention," a BBC spokesperson told AFP.

"We will provide a full response to Mr. Tatchell in due course."

In his letter to the bosses of the BBC, Mr Tatchell had demanded a public apology and the dismissal of the director of the Persian service, Rozita Lotfi

He also called for an investigation "into the persistent allegations that staff at the Persian branch of the BBC are possibly infiltrated by agents of the Iranian dictatorship."

The BBC Persian channel is banned in Iran and, according to a UN expert report published in March, its expatriate staff have been subjected to intimidation by the regime, including death threats against relatives based in Iran.

The London-based parent company said at the time that there had been a "recent escalation in the harassment" of Persian BBC staff and their families, coinciding with a crackdown on dissent in Iran.

© 2021 AFP