Hezbollah slams Arab satellites for banning Iranian channel
Updated: Friday, November 06, 2009
19:20GMT—2:20PM/EST
Washington, 6 November (WashingtonTV)—The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Friday condemned a decision by two Arab satellite providers to drop Iran’s Arabic-language satellite channel, Al-Alam.
In a statement, Hezbollah said the decision by Arabsat and Nilesat to stop broadcasting Al-Alam was politically motivated.
“Hezbollah declares its solidarity with the channel and considers this a violation of freedom of speech and opinion,” the statement said, according to AFP.
The two satellite operators stopped broadcasting Al-Alam this week, citing a breach of contract, reports the BBC.
Al-Alam has been seeking an explanation from the operators, but they have so far refused to give further details, according to Iran’s state-funded Press TV network.
Al-Alam’s Beirut bureau chief, Atef Mousawi, said the decision was a punishment for the channel supporting Hezbollah, reports AFP.
Analysts say that some Arab governments are concerned about the channel’s popularity and Iran’s growing regional influence, says the BBC.
Sources: Agence France-Presse, BBC News, Press TV
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