(RSF/IFEX) – RSF suspects a political motive is behind the American hosting provider The Planet’s termination of its contract with the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) on 14 January 2005. The organisation has written to the company seeking an explanation for its decision. RSF pointed out that a hosting provider cannot interrupt its clients’ service […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF suspects a political motive is behind the American hosting provider The Planet’s termination of its contract with the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) on 14 January 2005. The organisation has written to the company seeking an explanation for its decision.
RSF pointed out that a hosting provider cannot interrupt its clients’ service unless the client has clearly broken a clause in the contract or the contract has expired. Even in the event of a contractual dispute, a provider must explain its decision. The responsibility for deciding whether or not an online publication should be banned resides with the courts.
Iranian Internet users already suffer relentless government censorship, so it is all the more important for American hosting providers to demonstrate their respect for free expression, RSF added.
ISNA is an official Iranian news agency, but nonetheless constitutes an important source of information on the arrests of journalists and political dissidents in Iran, particularly for foreign organisations and media outlets. In addition, though it does not indicate its sources, ISNA regularly carries information from human rights organisations.
In the e-mail notifying ISNA that it was terminating the contract, The Planet said its decision was non-negotiable and gave the agency 48 hours to find a new provider. When contacted by phone, The Planet refused to comment.
ISNA’s deputy technical director described the hosting provider’s action as a “violation of international law.” The agency confirmed it had changed hosting providers following The Planet’s notification.
