&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran state TV slammed for blurring Finnish FM’s legs in UN broadcast")
The Iranian state television drew criticism for it censorship as it blurred the legs of Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, in a news segment covering the recent diplomatic meetings at the UN General Assembly in New York. The broadcast showed Valtonen alongside Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during official talks. The same footage also included Sweden’s Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard whose legs were also obscured digitally. Valtonen called Iranian state television’s decision to blur her legs a “sad” reflection of women’s treatment in the country. “My Swedish colleague sent me the video on Friday. My first reaction was that it was amusing. But I immediately added, ‘sad too’,” Valtonen told Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest daily newspaper.
The Finnish minister added that she does not change her clothing based on who she is meeting and avoids events that require covering the face or hair.
Valtonen said she raises women’s rights in every meeting with Iranian officials, and did so in this week’s talks also.
The footage was widely shared on social media. Iranian women’s rights activist and journalist Masih Alinejad also shared the footage on social media platform X, describing the censorship as a symptom of broader restrictions on women’s freedoms in Iran.
WATCH: BREAKING | Trump Says Israel Will Not Annex Gaza, Reveals Plan To End War
Finland’s National Coalition Party, which Valtonen represents, also reacted on Instagram, calling the incident “a sad example of the trampling of women’s rights.”
“This is a reminder of how women around the world are still controlled and erased from visibility. Every woman has the absolute right to be seen, heard, and live freely,” the party wrote in an Instagram post.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
“The National Coalition Party stands firmly for women’s rights—both in Finland and globally,” it added.
Iranian state media often modifies international footage involving women, in line with state-imposed dress codes. The blurring is part of standard broadcasting practice in the country, especially when showing women who do not adhere to local Islamic dress regulations.
