Banning Broadcast Of Iran TV Channels Against Freedom Of Information

Ankara, Oct 20, IRNA – EU decision to ban broadcast of Iranian TV channels on Hotbird satellite provider by Eutelsat SA is against freedom of speech and information, Iranian embassy to Ankara said in a statement released here on Thursday. Iran's embassy to Turkey condemned decision by the European Union to discontinue broadcast of programs of 19 Iranian satellite television channels, including Press TV (English-language television channel) on Hotbird. The statement called the action contrary to the West's claims of advocating freedom of speech and freedom of information. 'Iranian TV and Radio channels had their own policies and viewpoints in providing a different outlook toward international issues which of course didn’t conform with the Zionist regime's and the West's policies,' it said. 'The decision by the European Union proves the fact that the West is afraid of Iranian media impact on public opinion; such actions is against professionalism and the international rules and regulations; it shows well the paradoxical, discriminative approach of the West towards the Iranian media; such efforts are parts of the West's soft war against independent states like Iran and are a clear violation of rights of people to access information.' The statement concluded that the Iranian nation will not remain silent to illegal, inhumane action of the EU against its media. In a similiar move on Thursday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also condemned a decision by the European Union to discontinue broadcast of programs of 19 Iranian satellite television channels, including Press TV (English-language television channel) and Al-Alam (Arabic-language television channel) on Hotbird. In a statement released by PFLP in Damascus on Thursday, the Palestinian resistance movement reiterated that the move by the Eutelsat Company was aimed at restricting the media activities and suppressing the voice of truth-seekers who are confronting the Zionists and savagery of imperialists in the world, particularly Palestine. The Eutelsat company has exerted pressure on the Hotbird satellite broadcast service provider to cut 12473 satellite transmission and prevent providing services to the networks of this satellite package since October 15. Some of the Iranian television channels disrupted as Al-Alam, Press TV, Al-Kowsar, News network, Sahar 1 and 2 and Jaam-e Jam 1 and 2. Freedom of information is an extension of freedom of speech, a fundamental human right recognized in international law, which is today understood more generally as freedom of expression in any medium, be it orally, written, print, through the Internet or through art forms. This means that the protection of freedom of speech as a right includes not only the content, but also the means of expression. Freedom of information may also refer to the right to privacy in the context of the Internet and information technology. As with the right to freedom of expression, the right to privacy is a recognized human right and freedom of information acts as an extension to this right. Lastly, freedom of information can include opposition to patents, copyrights or intellectual property in general. In June 2006, nearly 70 countries had freedom of information legislations applying to information held by government bodies and in certain circumstances to private bodies. In 19 of these countries, the freedom of information legislation also applied to private bodies. Access to information was increasingly recognized as a prerequisite for transparency and accountability of governments, as a facilitating consumers' ability to make informed choices, and as safeguarding citizens against mismanagement and corruption. This has led an increasing number of countries to enact freedom of information legislation in the past 10 years. In recent years; private bodies have started to perform functions which were previously carried out by public bodies. Privatization and de-regulation saw banks, telecommunications companies, hospitals and universities being run by private entities, leading to demands for the extension of freedom of information legislation to cover private bodies./end