French television authority stops broadcasts of Iranian station for antisemitic content
{{date|February 11, 2005}}

Yesterday, the [[w:France|French]] television authority &ndash; the CSA &ndash; ordered [[:w:Eutelsat|Eutelsat]], a [[:w:satellite television|satellite television]] broadcaster, to stop transmitting the TV station '''Sahar-1''', operated by the [[:w:Iran|Iran]]ian government.

The ban was motivated by Sahar TV broadcasting [[:w:antisemitism|antisemitic]] fiction, as well as talk shows in which the existence of the [[:w:Holocaust|Holocaust]] and the [[:w:gas chamber|gas chamber]]s in [[:w:Nazi|Nazi]] [[:w:extermination camps|extermination camps]] was denied.

A recently aired show, ''For you, Palestine: Zahra's blue eyes'', in the word of the French TV authority, ''systematically presented Israelis and [[:w:Jew|Jew]]s in a demeaning manner, as persons without scruples, ready to steal the eyes of a Palestinian child''.

French law criminalizes incitation to racial hatred, as well as the denial of the Holocaust.

The government-controlled Iranian media, as the anniversary of the liberation of the [[:w:Auschwitz|Auschwitz]] [[:w:concentration camp|concentration camp]] was approaching, published a number of columns in which the Holocaust was described as a "historical lie".[http://goldwater.mideastreality.com/2005/jan/28_04.html] Sahar TV has already come under the criticism of media watchdogs for antisemitic broadcasts.[http://www.memritv.org]

France's broadcasting authority, the ''Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel'' or '''CSA''', is an independent administrative authority. The nine members of the council are named one third by the [[:w:President of France|President of the French Republic]], one third by the President of the [[:w:French Senate|Senate]], one third by the President of the [[:w:French National Assembly|National Assembly]].

France has already moved on several occasions to stop the broadcasts on its territory of antisemitic foreign broadcasters. On [[December 13]], [[2004]], the French [[:w:Conseil d'État|highest administrative court]], acting on the request of the TV authorities, issued an injunction ordering Eutelsat to cease broadcasting [[:w:Hezbollah|Hezbollah]] television [[:w:Al Manar|Al Manar]] in France.

==References==
* [http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=420 Transcript from ''For you, Palestine: Zahra's Blue Eyes'']
* Full text of the decision against Sahar: [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=CSAX0501054S decision in French], [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.legifrance.gouv.fr%2FWAspad%2FUnTexteDeJorf%3Fnumjo%3DCSAX0501054S&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&c2coff=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools in English]
* Decision against Al-Manar: [http://www.conseil-etat.fr/ce/jurispd/index_ac_ld0460.shtml full text], [http://www.conseil-etat.fr/ce/actual/index_ac_lc0418.shtml press release] (in [[French language|French]]); [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4093579.stm BBC report]
* [http://www.csa.fr/index.php Official home page of the ''Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel'']
* [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/texteconsolide/PCEAJ.htm Law #86-1067 defining the duties of broadcasters] (full text in French; see art. 15)
* [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/texteconsolide/PCEAA.htm Law on the Freedom of the Press] (full text in French; see art. 24bis)

{{publish}}
{{archive}}
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Television]]
[[Category:Iran]]
[[Category:The Holocaust]]

[[fr:Interdiction de diffusion en France d'une chaîne iranienne diffusant des programmes antisémites]]
[[sv:Iransk TV-kanal i Frankrike stoppad efter antisemitism]]
Yesterday, the French television authority – the CSA – ordered Eutelsat, a satellite television broadcaster, to stop transmitting the TV station 'Sahar-1', operated by the Iranian government.

The ban was motivated by Sahar TV broadcasting antisemitic fiction, as well as talk shows in which the existence of the Holocaust and the gas chambers in Nazi extermination camps was denied.

A recently aired show, For you, Palestine: Zahra's blue eyes, in the word of the French TV authority, systematically presented Israelis and Jews in a demeaning manner, as persons without scruples, ready to steal the eyes of a Palestinian child.

French law criminalizes incitation to racial hatred, as well as the denial of the Holocaust.

The government-controlled Iranian media, as the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp was approaching, published a number of columns in which the Holocaust was described as a "historical lie". Sahar TV has already come under the criticism of media watchdogs for antisemitic broadcasts.

France's broadcasting authority, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel or 'CSA', is an independent administrative authority. The nine members of the council are named one third by the President of the French Republic, one third by the President of the Senate, one third by the President of the National Assembly.

France has already moved on several occasions to stop the broadcasts on its territory of antisemitic foreign broadcasters. On December 13, 2004, the French highest administrative court, acting on the request of the TV authorities, issued an injunction ordering Eutelsat to cease broadcasting Hezbollah television Al Manar in France.
France Television Iran The Holocaust