A number of major international broadcasters recently issued a statement condemning “the deliberate interference of satellite broadcasting signals to silence independent media and prevent free access to information.”

Representatives from Voice of America, British Broadcasting Corporation, Deutsche Welle, Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France and Radio Netherlands Worldwide pointed a finger at Iran, saying, “We have seen an escalation this year in the number of pressure tactics that have been used on the media being accessed by audiences in Iran and other countries.”

The Persian language services were the main targets of jamming efforts, according to the broadcasters.

The group called on regulatory authorities to take action against those who they say deliberately cause interference to satellite signals.

The IBB broadcasters also asked national telecommunications authorities to take up the issue at an upcoming meeting of the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva.