Call to close Al Jazeera slated

DUBAI: A UN expert and a media freedom watchdog have criticised four Arab states for seeking to close Al Jazeera television in a rift with Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have sent Doha a list of 13 demands, including closing the state-funded Al Jazeera television and reducing ties to Iran, an official said.

The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye said the move was a blow against media pluralism in the Middle East.

“This demand represents a serious threat to media freedom if states, under the pretext of a diplomatic crisis, take measures to force the dismantling of Al Jazeera,” Kaye said.

“I call on the international community to urge these governments not to pursue this demand against Qatar, to resist taking steps to censor media in their own territory and regionally, and to encourage support for independent media in the Middle East.”

The four Arab states accuse Al Jazeera of interference in their affairs and fomenting unrest in the Middle East through its reporting – a charge the channel denies.

Reporters without Borders called the move “an unacceptable act of blackmail. Using pressure and blackmail betrays a clear desire by certain Gulf states to censor the Qatari media”.