Nov 7, 2015, 11:21 AM

Arabsat suspends Al-Mayadeen TV channel over Yemen war coverage

Arabsat suspends Al-Mayadeen TV channel over Yemen war coverage

BEIRUT, Nov. 07 (MNA) – Al-Mayadeen TV Channel’s Director Ghassan bin Jaddou denounced on Friday the pressure exerted by Arabsat, the largest satellite communications operator in the Arab world to the Lebanese government for its coverage of the Yemen war.

Bin Jeddou said the satellite communications operator has suspended providing services to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen television channel, arguing the channel offended a friendly Arab country, in clear reference to Saudi Arabia.

During a press conference, Jaddou pointed to pressure from certain Arab countries, which, according to him, asked the Lebanese government to close the channel and asked Al-Mayadeen not to deal with the Saudi war on Yemen as a humanitarian issue and refrain from covering the Saudi strikes on Yemeni civilian targets.

Sources reported that Arabsat threatened to relocate its broadcast station from Lebanon to Jordan if Al-Mayadeen television channel was not suspended.

Reports say pressure against Al-Mayadeen increased after a guest appearing on a program broadcast by the TV criticized Saudi Arabia’s mismanagement of the Hajj rituals.

Al-Mayadeen channel journalists voiced their rejection to the pressures and demanded to respect freedom of speech, as they thanked the solidarity received by different Arab media and other international networks.

 

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PL-32/MNA

 

News ID 111707

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