Muslim Brotherhood channel in Lebanon taken off-air

Lebanon based Ahrar 25 TV channel, founded in the wake of Egypt’s military coup, was taken off-air on Sunday, a statement said.

The channel, which affiliates with the Muslim Brotherhood, said it was removed from all frequencies of the Nile Sat and Kuwait’s Gulf Sat Satellites.

“The two satellite companies’ administrations notified Ahrar 25 that the decision was politically motivated and came following pressures from the Egyptian authorities,” the statement said.

Commenting on the decision, the channel said: “It is continuation of suppressing freedoms, curbing media and violating the right to freedom of expression.”

Egypt’s first freely elected President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the Egyptian army last July. Several Islamic and independent satellite channels were taken off-air after his ouster.

The Egyptian interim authorities, assigned and backed by the army, accused these channels of incitement.