Syria “most likely” behind Al-Jazeera jamming - paper

Syria “most likely” behind Al-Jazeera jamming - paper

December 28th, 2011 - 15:43 UTC

by Andy Sennitt.

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Excerpt from report by Qatari newspaper Al-Rayah website on 24 December

The Al-Jazeera news network suffered deliberate interference to its [satellite] signals on 23 December, preventing many viewers from watching its broadcasts.

The network’s management announced new frequencies for the channel: via Nilesat on 11564 and 10853 [MHz], horizontal [polarization], 27500 [symbol rate], 3/4 [FEC]; and via Arabsat on 10890 vertical, 27500, 3/4.

By the evening of 23 December, the network had been unable to discover the source of the interference that was interrupting broadcasts via both satellites. A source close to the network said that the source of the interference was most likely Syria, based on Al-Jazeera’s coverage of the events there, which attracted international attention over the coverage of demonstrations and the repressive acts that are being exercised against rebels.

Al-Jazeera is being prevented from covering events, and counter-media campaigns target its staff. Three months ago, Al-Jazeera adopted new frequencies on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites. The signal interference that the channel is suffering this time coincides with the painful and bloody events that the Syrian people are being subjected to during their revolt, especially after the network has shown over the past months a number of clips that reveal the actual torture and intentional murder of the unarmed rebels by the Syrian authorities.

[Passage omitted: Al-Jazeera jammed during Egyptian, Libyan uprisings]

(Source: Al-Rayah website, Doha, in Arabic 24 Dec 11 via BBC Monitoring)

US Condemns Jamming of 'Virtual Embassy Tehran'

December 07, 2011

US Condemns Jamming of 'Virtual Embassy Tehran'

The United States has condemned Iran's blockage of an interactive online "Virtual U.S. Embassy Tehran," less than 24 hours after it was officially launched in Washington.

In a statement Wednesday, the White House said that "through this action, the Iranian government has once again demonstrated its commitment to build an electronic curtain of surveillance and censorship around its people." The statement said "Tehran's systematic efforts to deny information to its citizens and to control what the Iranian people see and hear is doomed to fail in a 21st century when technology is empowering citizens around the globe."

The State Department launched the virtual diplomatic mission Tuesday, saying it is aimed at bridging the gap between Iranians and Americans that has existed since diplomatic relations were severed more than 30 years ago.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the unprecedented Internet project "a vehicle for the two peoples to communicate without fear." In her welcome video, Clinton also noted that thanks to the new technologies like the Web site, Iranians can find information about opportunities to study in America or obtain visas to come and visit.

Under-Secretary of State for political affairs Wendy Sherman said the online project is an effort to skirt the "electronic curtain" erected by Tehran to block Internet links between Iranians and the outside world.

The Iranian move came as representatives of five international broadcasters met in London to discuss the deliberate jamming of their broadcast signals in countries such as Iran that seek to prevent free access to information.

Voice of America joined the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Audiovisuel Exterieur de la France and Radio Netherlands Worldwide in signing a statement Wednesday, condemning the practices and calling for action to stop it.

In the statement, the five broadcasters say they have seen an escalation this year in the number of pressure tactics that have been used on the media accessed by audiences in Iran and other countries. They asked regulatory authorities to take action against those who deliberately cause interference to satellite signals on the grounds that this is contrary to international conventions.

Secretary Clinton announced the plans for the "Virtual U.S. Embassy Tehran" in an interview with VOA's Persian News Network in late October. Iran responded by saying the project will not succeed.

But U.S. officials expressed confidence that the new project will be popular, saying a State Department Persian Facebook page created earlier this year has already had about one million "hits."

Iranians are invited to contribute comments and criticism through links to State Department Twitter and Facebook accounts provided on the new website.

The U.S. virtual embassy web site is available in English at "Tehran.usembassy.gov" or "iran.usembassy.gov" and in Persian at "Persian.iran.usembassy.gov".

International broadcasters say Iran is increasing efforts to jam foreign broadcasts

By Associated Press, Published: December 8

LONDON — Leading international broadcasters on Wednesday accused Iran of increasing its intimidation of foreign media and accelerating efforts to jam satellite broadcasts in Farsi from reaching Iranian audiences.

Following a meeting of senior media executives in London, Voice of America, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Germany’s Deutsche Welle, France’s AEF and Radio Netherlands Worldwide issued a joint statement calling for an end to attempts to block independent media.

Iran has previously been criticized over its efforts to jam broadcasts and block websites of foreign-based Farsi-language media, including BBC Persian and Voice of America.

“We call upon the regulatory authorities to take action against those who deliberately cause interference to satellite signals,” the broadcasters said in a statement, urging national authorities to take up the issue at a meeting of the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva.

Tehran has accused the BBC, along with the British government, of fomenting the mass protests that broke out after Iran’s disputed presidential election in 2009.

In September, the BBC said jamming from within Iran had been expanded to target Eutelsat’s W3A satellite, which covers Africa, Europe and parts of the Middle East.

Iranian authorities have also questioned an unspecified number of people over their alleged links to BBC’s Farsi-language service, and arrested six independent filmmakers for allegedly providing the BBC with video and news reports perceived as damaging to Iran.

“We have seen an escalation this year in the number of pressure tactics that have been used on the media being accessed by audiences in Iran and other countries,” the broadcasters said in their statement.

The issue was discussed at a meeting in London of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the U.S. government funded agency which has channels broadcasting to about 187 million people in 100 countries.

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