Iraq has suspended the licences of 10 satellite TV channels for promoting “sectarianism”, the country’s media regulator said on Sunday, as more than 220 people were killed over six days, AFP reports.
The bloody unrest, which began on Tuesday with deadly clashes between security forces and Sunni Arab anti-government protesters in north Iraq, has raised fears of a return to an all-out sectarian conflict that plagued the country in the past and killed tens of thousands.
“We took a decision to suspend the licence of some satellite channels that adopted language encouraging violence and sectarianism,” Mujahid Abu al-Hail, a top official in the Communications and Media Commission, told AFP.
“It means stopping their work in Iraq and their activities, so they cannot cover events in Iraq or move around,” Hail said.
The suspensions include Al-Jazeera, the main broadcaster in the Arab world, and Sharqiya, a leading channel in Iraq.
