Seizure of Press TV domain work of a ‘gangster regime’

The seizure of Press TV’s .com domain is the work of a “gangster regime,” a political analyst says.  

“The action of the US government in seizing these websites last night shows that this is the actions of a gangster regime; it is the action of thugs, really,” said Asa Winstanley of the Electronic Intifada – an online Chicago-based publication covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in an interview with the Press TV’s website Wednesday. “The US government likes to lecture other governments overseas about free speech, democracy, and freedom of expression.”

Tehran has previously asserted that such moves are meant to stifle independent media and freedom of speech sometimes critical of US policies. 

Winstanley argued that the US supposed crackdown on disinformation does not address media outlets actually spreading lies, namely operated by Israel. 

US wants Iran stripped of capacity to challenge US hostile propaganda

The United States’ “seizure” domains belonging to some Iranian websites, including Press TV, is because Washington does not want Iran to challenge the US “hostile propaganda,” a political analyst says.

“I would say that there are real disinformation campaigns that happen in America, that the US government doesn't do anything about because it considers the perpetrators of those disinformation campaigns to be its ally,” said 
the political commentator. “Even though the culprits of those disinformation campaigns are carrying out very real disinformation and influence campaigns against the US citizen. And I'm talking primarily about Israel.”

The seizure, which featured the seals of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Commerce Department, is part of the broader campaign to crack down on resistance, Winstanley noted. 

“It is just the American government stepping in and designating certain media outlets to be beyond the pale. While Israeli media organizations are considered to be okay. This is pure hypocrisy.”

Apart from the US suppression of the voice of dissent, the internet itself is being taken advantage of to silence alternative voices, he suggested. 

“Increasingly, the internet is actually used to curb free speech and free expression,” said the analyst. “Israeli army censors are being recruited by Silicon Valley corporations, like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and others. They are increasingly putting their point of view across, and Palestinian voices are being more and more purged from social media.”

Palestinians are among the top victims of censorship in the world as the Israeli regime tries to control the narrative amid aggression on the Muslims there.  

“The reality of Palestinian existence, and the crimes of the Israeli occupation forces against them are increasingly being censored from social media and the internet.”

Although the .com domain of Press TV is down, www.presstv.ir is up and running.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk