France's Eutelsat refuses to discuss Iran media ban

by PressTVGlobalNews

The decision by Paris-based telecommunications company Eutelsat to remove all 19 Iranian media, including Press TV, from its satellite television services has caused uproar and disbelief. Eutelsat wrote that "This decision was based on reinforced EU Council sanctions and a confirmation by France's broadcasting authority...."

Eutelsat refused Press TV's repeated requests for an interview. Press TV also asked France's broadcasting authority, the Superior Audiovisual Council, to explain their role, but they also refused.

Confusing the situation was a declaration by the spokesperson for the EU Council's Foreign Policy Chief. She told Press TV, "This is a decision of Eutelsat," adding that the latest EU sanctions "do not contain elements which could have forced Eutelsat to take such a step."

Press TV asked the French Foreign Ministry to discuss the situation but they said an interview wasn't necessary because they were not involved in Eutelsat's decision.

Across Europe, defenders of free speech are uniformly condemning Eutelsat's decision as a clear case of censorship. Namely, that Eutelsat is either pursuing its own agenda or is acting as a puppet for larger political interests, and in order to achieve goals they want to keep hidden they're using repression, intimidation and ignorance.

Ramin Mazaheri, Press TV, Paris