The founder of Persian-language Gem TV Saeed Karimian was shot dead in Istanbul. According to Doğan news agency, Karimians car was stopped by a Jeep and shots were fired. The Jeep was later found abandoned and burned.Initial police findings point to a financial disagreement as the motive for the assassination.Irans government has accused Gem TVs satellite channels of promoting Western values. A Tehran court tried Karimian in absentia last year for acting against national security.