Susan Sarandon and Indira Varma Among Over 600 Industry Figures Accusing BBC of Censoring Palestinian Voices

New York (Quds News Network)- More than 600 industry figures from the cultural world, including Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and the British film-maker Mike Leigh have accused the BBC of censoring Palestinian voices, after its decision to delay the broadcast of a documentary on medics in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli genocide.

Over 600 industry figures have signed an open letter sent to Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, demanding the immediate release of Gaza: Medics Under Fire, saying it has undergone extensive editorial reviews and fact checking and has been ready for broadcast for months.

The signatories stated that editorial caution over the subject has spilled over into “political suppression”.

“Every day this film is delayed, the BBC fails in its commitment to inform the public, fails in its journalistic responsibility to report the truth, and fails in its duty of care to these brave contributors,” the letter stated, as reported by The Guardian.

“No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling. This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors’ bravery honoured.”

The BBC has said the programme’s airing had been delayed while it investigated the production of another documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which was pulled from iPlayer following claims that its 14-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official, who is in fact a Palestinian deputy agriculture minister. Dr Ayman Alyazouri, Gaza’s deputy agriculture minister, appears to be a technocrat with a scientific background who previously worked for the United Arab Emirates government and studied at British universities.

Other notable signatories of the letter demanding its release include the Game of Thrones star Indira Varma, as well as fellow actors Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson. NHS doctors involved in helping to set up the film are said to be among those concerned about the delay.

Basement Films, the production company behind the programme, has already expressed its disappointment. “We gathered searing testimony from multiple Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers,” it said. “We are desperate for a confirmed release date in order to be able to tell the surviving doctors and medics when their stories will be told.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We are committed to journalism which tells our audiences the stories of this war, including what is happening in Gaza. This documentary is a powerful piece of reporting and we will broadcast it as soon as possible.”

“We have taken an editorial decision not to do so while we have an ongoing review into a previous documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.”