(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the Iraqi Governing Council’s ban on the 24-hour television news satellite station Al-Jazeera. Under the ban, Al-Jazeera is prevented from reporting on the Council’s activities from 28 January to 27 February 2004. “Boycotting media outlets and giving in to the temptation to censor them is no way to escape criticism,” […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the Iraqi Governing Council’s ban on the 24-hour television news satellite station Al-Jazeera. Under the ban, Al-Jazeera is prevented from reporting on the Council’s activities from 28 January to 27 February 2004.
“Boycotting media outlets and giving in to the temptation to censor them is no way to escape criticism,” said the organisation’s secretary-general, Robert Ménard. “Despite the Council’s problems, this move is counter-productive and will only delay the creation of an atmosphere of trust likely to foster press freedom,” he added.
Al-Jazeera said the measure, announced on 31 January, followed the broadcasting of comments about the Iraqi situation from a viewer during the phone-in programme “Opposite Directions”. Council spokeswoman Marouj Haider said Al-Jazeera has shown “disrespect to Iraq and its people,” and to prominent religious and political leaders.
The station tried to cover a 31 January press conference by Governing Council President Adnan Pachachi, but its journalists were turned away.
RSF expressed surprise over the decision, which came only a few days after the Council had allowed Al-Arabiya, another pan-Arab television news satellite station, to resume its activities in Iraq following a two-month ban (see IFEX alert of 25 November 2003).
On 23 September, the Council banned Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya from covering its activities and all official events for two weeks for allegedly encouraging political violence and the murder of Council members and American and British troops (see alert of 24 September 2003). The move followed a 20 September assassination attempt on Governing Council member Akila al-Hashimi.
