Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen is being accused of broadcasting without a licence. The channel is alleged to be transmitting “anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial statements” according to French observers.

The influential Denis Diderot Committee has published an ‘alert report’ on Al Mayadeen TV. “This channel, broadcast to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe by two Eutelsat satellites from Italian territory, was not authorised by the Italian regulatory authority, Agcom,” says the Committee report.

The report states: “Initially, the Diderot Committee alerted the French regulatory authority, Arcom. Elements of information, provided by Arcom and the Secretary General of Eutelsat Group, made it possible to identify that the channel is relayed by two Italian teleports – including one belonging to Eutelsat – to two Eutelsat satellites (Hotbird 13G and Eutelsat 7 West A). Arcom made a referral to its Italian regulator and the Diderot Committee sent its alert report to the President of Agcom, expressing surprise that Al Mayadeen TV does not appear in the register of channels broadcast by satellite authorised by the Authority pursuant to Article 18 of Italian Legislative Decree No. 208/2021.

“On December 6, 2023, Mr. Lasorella, President of Agcom, wrote to the Diderot Committee to confirm that the channel had not made any request for authorization and that he was therefore launching an investigation procedure. It specifies that following receipt of the letter from ARCOM, the Authority immediately activated its police bodies, to verify the exact location of the uplinks, in order to establish any Italian jurisdiction and proceed with the arrangements provided for by the legislative decree,” states the Diderot report.

The Diderot Committee says it hopes that national authorities in Europe, and where appropriate the European Union, will take measures to ensure that the sites and accounts of Al Mayadeen TV, a promoter of anti-Semitism and terrorism.

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