Pressures On Iran Media, Illegal: IRIB World Service Chief

Tehran, Dec 22, IRNA – Pressures and limitations made upon the world service of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) are illegal, Head of IRIB World Service Mohammad Sarafraz said here on Friday. He called the Spain's top satellite company Hispasat's action in ordering its satellite provider Overon to take Iranian channels Press TV and Hispan TV off the air as illegal, adding that Tehran will do the necessary measures against the new waves of US and EU pressures on world services of Iranian media. 'Iranian Hispan TV was broadcasting programs based on EU rules; Spanish government and Hispasat have not presented any legal reason and have revoked their contracts unilaterally.' Head of IRIB World Service noted that approval of sanctions against Iranian media and its satellite is remeniscent of the Middle Ages era in Europe during which the freedom of speech and free flow of information was restricted by the rulers. 'Restrictions upon Iranian media have roots in the Zionist lobby's pressures upon the US Congress as well as the European Union.' Spain's top satellite company Hispasat has ordered its satellite provider Overon to take Iranian channels Press TV and Hispan TV off the air. The Spanish company says the decision is in line with EU’s sanctions against the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). This is while Hispan TV is operating under the laws of the European Union and has not received any notice on the violation of the law or the decision to take it off the air. The Spanish government and Hispasat have not provided any legal reason over the move and have unilaterally revoked the contract with the TV network. It is worth mentioning that Hispasat is partly owned by the Paris-based Eutelsat SA satellite provider that removed Iranian channels off the air in October. In a flagrant violation of freedom of speech, Eutelsat SA and Intelsat SA stopped the broadcast of several Iranian satellite channels in October, citing pressure by the European Union. The EU has, however, denied the claims by the European satellite companies. In November, the Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) also took all Iranian channels off the air in East Asia. The move to take Iranian channels off the air is interpreted as an attempt to silence the truth-telling media./end