Press TV CEO blasts war on Iranian media

The chief executive officer of Iran’s English-language news network Press TV, Dr. Mohammad Sarafraz, has in an open letter lambasted the ongoing muzzling campaign embarked on by the Franco-Israeli chief of the European satellite provider Eutelsat against Iran’s media.

Following is the full text of the letter made public on Tuesday:

Dear Sirs/Madams

I am writing in reference to the recent anti-Iranian media campaign that has been instigated by Eutelsat’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michel de Rosen. He has been sending letters to a number of satellite companies and service providers demanding that they cease cooperation with Iranian TV channels. In his letters, Mr. Rosen cites the following sanctions regimes as the reason why Press TV and other Iranian media outlets must be banned:

1) EU sanctions against the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Mr. Ezzatollah Zarghami;
2) And the sanctions imposed by the government of the United States against the IRIB and its president

It should be noted that both EU and US sanctions refer to the televised broadcast by local Iranian channels of confessions made by suspects accused of acting against Iran’s national security. The suspects and their lawyers have never challenged the broadcast, nor have they questioned the legitimate nature of the confessions. However, the United States and the European Union have adopted illegal sanctions against the entire Iranian broadcasting community without even seeking explanation from the IRIB or investigating the issue in question at a court of law. The IRIB has come under sanctions even before having the opportunity to offer its own side of the story. It is strongly recommended that each company conduct its own research and look into Mr. Rosen’s claims before making any decisions. Here are some of Press TV observations:

1) Michael Mann, the spokesperson for the EU Foreign Policy Chief, has confirmed in a written response to our inquiry that EU sanctions by no means apply to Iranian media in the sense that Iranian TV channels are not required to be taken off the air because of the sanctions.
2) As to the most recent threats issued by Mr. Rosen regarding the US sanctions against IRIB, this is yet again another campaign of misinformation. Any such sanctions have yet to come into effect, and it is not yet clear if they ever will be implemented.

The aforementioned points raise the serious question as to why Eutelsat’s CEO is so insistent that Iranian media not be broadcast even though the US and EU themselves have not implemented the sanctions. Mr. Rosen’s campaign against Iranian media clearly runs counter to the very principles and standards of freedom of speech. Press TV and other Iranian TV channels reserve the right to take legal action against this unprecedented Western campaign against their right to free speech. Besides, they will seek to inform world public opinion about the hypocrisy and double standards practiced by those who have claimed to give the highest value to human rights, particularly with regards to freedom of expression since the Renaissance. This episode is indeed a black stain on the hands of Eutelsat and its CEO, who is purported to be an Israeli national who carries out the orders of the Zionist lobby in the US and Europe.

Sincerely,
Mohammad Sarafraz,
Chief Executive Officer
Press TV