Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran
It is just another attempt to mute the voice of the voiceless. Press TV managers were not surprised by Eutelsat's decision to stop broadcasting the news outlet as they say this is not the first time Press TV is being banned in the West.
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.
In mid-November, the European Union imposed sanctions on Press TV over claims that the news network airs forced confessions of detainees in connection with the recent unrest in Iran.
In 2013, Press TV was brought off the air in the UK after media regulator Ofcom revoked its license over the alleged breaching of its rules.
In the same year, it was taken off the air in North America after the US Treasury Department placed sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Press TV was dropped from the Galaxy-19 satellite platform that allowed it to broadcast in the United States and Canada.
Press TV has also repeatedly fallen victim to censorship on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
It is not the first time and perhaps not the last time that the West has attempted to pull the plug on Press TV. However, the news network says it will continue its professional journalism based on its motto of being the voice for the voiceless.