Iran Press/Iran news: In an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, Ahmad Norouzi called the removal of Press TV from the Eutelsat satellite a shame and said: "The West has tried to stop the broadcasting of Iranian channels' programs on satellites in the past and this action is not a new issue."
He stated that Europe's attack on Iran's Press TV resulted from its commendable efforts against the media war against Iran. The attempt to limit Press TV and prevent its voice from broadcasting was not a new issue. In the past, this network also witnessed broadcasting restrictions, interruption of broadcasting in some regions of the world, and prevention of its activities on the Internet and social networks.
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Eutelsat Takes off Press TV on air after EU sanctions
Norouzi explained that the decision had been made based on baseless claims in the framework of European sanctions against Iran.
He noted that Iran is engaged in an all-out media war by enemies to expand the range of protests in the country and that Press TV has played a commendable role in countering these attacks. In the media war against Iran, an attempt was made to pretend that a civil war was going on in Iran, but Press TV exposed these false claims; hence, the enemy is trying so that the call of Iranian media does not reach audiences abroad.
He added that the Press TV audiences could watch the programs of this network on the site or satellites in other regions.
European anti-Press TV actions before
On November 14, the European Union imposed sanctions on a number of Iranian institutions and individuals, including Press TV, over alleged “rights violations” following the recent foreign-backed riots in the country.
Experts believe that sanctions imposed on Press TV by the EU and earlier by the government of Canada are aimed at muzzling free speech and alternative views.
They have also highlighted the role played by Press TV during the recent riots, as the news channel made a great effort to counter fake narratives fostered by Western media.
Eutelsat is a French satellite operator providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It is the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues.
On April 3, 2012, Munich-based media regulator BLM announced it was removing Press TV from the SES Astra satellite, as it purportedly did not have a license to broadcast in Europe.
In November 2012, the Hong Kong-based AsiaSat took Iranian channels off air in East Asia, and in October 2012 Eutelsat and Intelsat stopped broadcasting several Iranian satellite channels, though the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting managed to resume broadcasts after striking deals with smaller companies that are based in other countries.
In July 2013, Press TV was forced off the air in the UK after the media regulator Ofcom revoked its license for allegedly breaching the Communications Act.
In the same year, it was taken off air in North America after the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Press TV was dropped from the Galaxy 19 satellite platform that allowed it to broadcast in the United States and Canada, without saying when it was dropped.
Press TV has also repeatedly fallen victim to censorship on multiple Internet-based social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
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