Iranian Rights Activists Criticize Tehran’s Satellite Jamming
Two prominent Iranian human rights activists are calling on the European Union and United States to take action against European satellite companies who host Iranian state programming.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and human-rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi and the director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran Hadi Ghaemi made the comments on Friday in an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal Europe.
Ebadi and Ghaemi criticize satellite companies, Eutelsat and Arqiva, for broadcasting the “libelous programs” of the Iranian government, while allowing Tehran to jam U.S. and European broadcasting into Iran via the same companies’ satellites.
Ghaemi spoke to VOA’s Persian News Network on Friday, saying Iran uses its state-run media outlets to defame anyone who speaks out against the state.
“The Iranian radio and television actually work very closely with the intelligence and security forces to the point that we have many testimonies of former detainees that have been interrogated by cameraman and so called staff of the IRIB,” said Ghaemi.
The human rights activist said the European satellite companies are not doing anything to stop the Iranian government from jamming the signals of international broadcasters. He said they are instead hiding behind their contractual obligations with the Tehran.
“The companies are not necessarily breaking international law, but they are providing services to a government that is the leader in breaking international law,” Ghaemi added.