LONDON: Britain will officially declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), which has arrested seven people with links to the United Kingdom over anti-government protests, as a terrorist group, the Telegraph reported on Monday, citing sources.

The move, which will be announced within weeks, is supported by Britain’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Home Secretary Suella Bra­verman, the report said.

Proscribing Iran’s Rev­olutionary Guard as a terrorist group would mean that it would become a criminal offence to belong to the group, attend its meetings, and carry its logo in public.

The UK Home Office did not immediately res­pond to a request for comment on the Telegraph report.

Last week, the IRGC arrested seven people with links to Britain over anti-government protests that have rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kur­dish Iranian who was arrested for wearing “ina­ppropriate attire” under Iran’s strict Islamic dress code for women.

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wed­nesday urged Iran to stop detaining dual nationals, saying the practice should not be used to obtain “diplomatic leverage”.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023