Al Jazeera Responds to Being Taken Off Air in Egypt
Al Jazeera has stated its “utter disappointment” with the blockage of its signal on Nilesat and sees this as a further attempt to hinder and obstruct the carriage of its reporting coming out of Egypt. Al Jazeera said the move was a reaction to how widely its coverage was being watched. They have more reporters on the ground across Egypt than any other network.
Earlier today Al Jazeera’s bureau in Cairo was closed by the Egyptian government in an attempt to stifle and obstruct freedom of reporting by the network and its journalists. The Network said it retained the right to take any available legal measures to reverse the move.
Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al Jazeera Network said:
“Regardless of the multiple attempts by the Egyptian authorities to deter and impede our reporting, Al Jazeera continues its comprehensive coverage of the landmark events unfolding in Egypt.”
Earlier in a company-wide communication to staff Mr. Khanfar stated:
“This news should not be met with disappointment, but instead be used as fuel for further impetus, galvanizing our courageous Network to continue to best tell the story of the changing face of Egyptian politics.
“Under very trying circumstances we have delivered the highest standard of reporting from Egypt which has gripped our growing global audience. Even in such a short space of time we can be proud of our achievements, level of professionalism and sophistication in covering the significant developments in Egypt.”