![]() Why Ofcom gave it a licence is beyond me. “This channel is clearly a part of that web. Sir John Jenkins, a former British diplomat with extensive knowledge of the Middle East, said: “Iran has constructed a tightly woven web of influence across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and parts of the Gulf (and indeed into S America and W Africa) which acts both as a defensive bulwark against its enemies and a tool of subversion and offensive action. We must shut down any arsenal authoritarian regimes are using to radicalise or spread division in our country or risk jeopardising our own security.” “Iran is a femicidal state abetting and arming terrorists and assassins globally. Senior MPs have now called for Ofcom to investigate LuaLua TV’s licence over its support of Iran and broadcasting of support for extremist groups.Īlicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the National Security Strategy, said: “Any broadcaster found to have links to the Iranian state should face intense scrutiny and I call on OfCom to immediately investigate LuaLua’s licence. Several of the sites were back online within hours with new domain addresses.Ĭommentators have claimed LuaLua TV broadcasts propaganda on behalf of the Iranian regime and have raised questions about Ofcom’s inability to intervene over its output. The US Department of Justice closed down LuaLua TV’s website in 2021, along with 32 others, which it said were used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU), an affiliate of the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and was therefore in breach of US sanctions. It began broadcasting in 2011 online and via satellite to provide what it says is a media alternative to the Bahraini government’s state-controlled broadcasts.īahrain has claimed that Iran is to blame for opposition protests among its Shia population. ![]() ![]() LuaLua TV, a subsidiary of Shells for Media Productions Limited, was originally set up in opposition to the Bahrain government and is run from offices in Wembley, north-west London. Last month, it also broadcast a speech by the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, whose armed militia has been responsible for numerous attacks on Israel. Abdel Malik Sukkariyeh, a Lebanese based anti-Israel campaigner, said that “the Hamas leadership was well prepared” for one battle and that “there was dazzlement…the enemy could see with his own eyes the bodies of his dead in the streets and the capture of his soldiers, humiliated by the resistance.”ĭr Sukkariyeh added: “When this Israeli sees the bodies of his dead and prisoners, he loses confidence in his military, political, and security leadership”. In another LuaLua TV interview, a contributor called Dr. Mr Sawaf and a number of his family members were later reported killed after the Israeli bombing of his home in Gaza. LuaLua TV, which was banned from operating in the US over suspected links to the Iranian regime, carried interviews in which contributors described Hamas’ October 7 attack as a “step closer to victory” and “humiliating” for Israel.īut Ofcom, the regulatory authority for broadcasting in the UK, says it is unable to act over the content of LuaLua TV because it broadcasts only online.įollowing the October 7 attacks, which killed 1,400 Israelis, including dozens of children, the channel showed an interview with Mustafa Al-Sawaf, a Palestinian writer and political researcher, in which he stated “what the Palestinian resistance has achieved today has exceeded all imaginations” and “we are close to victory”. A UK-based TV channel has been accused of broadcasting open support for Hamas and the Hezbollah armed militia, despite being licenced by the media regulator.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |