Iran says the latest move by French satellite operator Eutelsat to take the English-language news network Press TV off air reveals the true face of the so-called advocates of freedom of expression.
"While Europe hosts many channels that promote violence and terrorism against Iran, the Eutelsat satellite removed Press TV channel from its list due to the sanctions of the European Union!" Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said in a post on his Twitter account on Thursday.
“The new measure against Press TV further exposes the true face of those claiming to advocate freedom of expression and free flow of information,” he added.
اقدام جدید ضد پرس تی وی، چهره واقعی مدعیان دروغین آزادی بیان و چرخش آزاد اطلاعات را آشکارتر میکند. در حالیکه اروپا میزبان شبکههای متعدد مروّج خشونت و تروریسم علیه ایران است، اما ماهواره یوتلست، شبکه پرس تی وی را به دلیل تحریمهای اتحادیه اروپا از فهرست این ماهواره حذف کرد! pic.twitter.com/qUxkulBZXb
— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) December 7, 2022
After the European Union imposed sanctions on a number of Iranian institutions and individuals, including Press TV, on November 14 over alleged “rights violations” following the recent foreign-backed riots in the country, Eutelsat notified the Tehran-based broadcaster on Wednesday of its plan to take the network off the air.
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.
Taking strong exception to the latest anti-Iran measure, Press TV in a statement on Wednesday denounced it as "media terrorism".
The statement said the “hostile” move by Eutelsat and the earlier sanctions imposed by the European Union, is “just one of the rings in the chain of measures that has been designed to muzzle the only voice of the Iranian people in the English-language media environment.”
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.