UANI Applauds Arqiva and Eutelsat for Ending Broadcast of Iranian Regime Programming

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 2012 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com  Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Applauds Arqiva and Eutelsat for Ending Broadcast of Iranian Regime Programming Following UANI Campaign, Eutelsat and Arqiva Take 19 Iranian Stations off Airways New York, NY - On Monday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) applauded the British telecommunications company Arqiva, and European Satellite provider Eutelsat, for taking 19 Iranian television and radio stations off the European airways, effective today. Since May 3, 2012, UANI has been in discussions with Arqiva to stop broadcasting and transmitting the Iranian regime's state-owned networks and propaganda. In May, UANI contacted Eutelsat, and called on it to "to end all business activities in Iran, including the service and maintenance of past contracts." In June, UANI publicly called on Arqiva to end its broadcasting of the regime's principal propaganda tool against democracy and human rights activists, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). Said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: Arqiva has made the right decision, and we applaud it. We also applaud Eutelsat for taking these Iranian broadcasters off the European airways today. Any entity committed to free speech must completely distance itself from the Iranian regime, particularly given the regime's libelous programming that regularly includes hate speech against religious minorities, forced confessions of peaceful dissidents and civil society activists, and show trials of political prisoners. We thank Arqiva and Eutelsat officials for working with us on this important matter and also call on them to commit to stopping all transmissions of Iranian regime programming worldwide, until the regime stops disseminating hateful propaganda and violating international law. We call on all media entities worldwide to stop broadcasting IRIB programming and other regime propaganda.  As part of its "Tech and Telecom Campaign," UANI has succeeded in curtailing the business of international telecom giants such as Adaptive Mobile, Huawei, and Nokia Siemens Networks in Iran. UANI launched the campaign in 2011 to highlight the practices of international firms that provide the Iranian regime with sensitive technology and telecommunications equipment that the regime uses to facilitate its suppression of citizens. Click here to read UANI's May 30 letter to Arqiva. Click here to read UANI's May 3 letter to Arqiva. Click here to read UANI's letter to Eutelsat. ###  United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

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