Germany takes Press TV off air again

A court in Germany has taken Press TV off a satellite platform despite two previous rulings issued in favor of the alternative English-language news network.

The supreme administrative court in Bavaria state argues that Press TV must not use satellite services for broadcast in Germany.

The surprising ruling comes just months after a Munich court ruled twice that Press TV can broadcast on SES Astra platform in the country.

The Munich media regulatory body, BLM, had taken Press TV off the satellite platform in April. It said Press TV lacked the necessary license.

Press TV lawyers subsequently took legal action against the BLM and won the case. BLM appealed but its plea was rejected by the Munich administrative court.

The issue was then referred to the state court in Bavaria that ruled in favor of taking Press TV off the air.

Press TV says the German government seeks to silence the alternative channel’s voice. It says the ban was meant to stop the channel's extensive coverage of Germany's social and economic issues.

The channel has also covered the growing public anger in Germany over that country's military involvement in Afghanistan.

Press TV has covered xenophobic violence in Germany. One example was the case of Marwa el-Sherbini, the Muslim woman who was murdered over her Islamic headscarf back in 2009.

The news channel interviewed the Sherbini family and revealed their story to the world, prompting anger from German officials, who had reportedly ordered a media blackout on the highly sensitive case.

Source: Press TV, 27 Sept 2012