On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with their regional neighbor Qatar.
Long accused of supporting extremism, Qatar was issued with a list of demands that must be acceded to if relations are to be restored. Shutting down Al Jazeera and its affiliated media outlets was listed as one of the thirteen demands laid down by the coalition. This has sparked global media outrage and prompted a response from the broadcaster itself amid closure threats.
Al Jazeera has since released a list of its own demands, including the right to press freedom. In an open letter, the Doha-based network wrote the attempt to silence Al Jazeera is an attempt to silence independent journalism in the region, and to challenge everyones freedom to be heard and to be informed.
To those who demand that Al Jazeera be shut down and that peoples right to the truth be suppressed, we too have demands.
Launched in 1996, the Qatari-funded television station is the most watched news network in the Middle East. Unlike other government news outlets in the region, Al Jazeeras commitment to strong editorial independence allows open and critical debate. Its closure would not only damage press freedom on a global scale but threaten the pursuitofindependent and crediblejournalism.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the targeting of Al Jazeera, stating that the broadcaster was a collateral victim of [the] diplomatic offensive against Qatar." The demand also evoked strong reactions from The New York Times, The Guardian, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Watch Al Jazeeras Demand for Press Freedom here:
(brl/red)
