Iran’s FM Spox Decries Iranian TV’s Removal from Eutelsat

By Staff, Agencies

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced French satellite operator Eutelsat for taking Press TV off air, saying it reveals the true face of the self-proclaimed 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!" Nasser Kanaani 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.

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 of its plan to take the network off the air.

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.