Gulf crisis: Al-Jazeera says Saudi Arabia's demand to close media house attack on 'freedom of expression'

Doha: Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera said Friday any move to close it down was an attack on media freedom, following demands by Gulf neighbours for the channel to be taken off air. The closure of the broadcaster is said to be one of 13 wide-ranging demands placed on Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies as the price for lifting an almost three-week long “blockade” on Qatar. “We in the network believe that any call for closing down Al-Jazeera is nothing but an attempt to silence the freedom of expression in the region and to suppress people’s right to information,” it said in a statement.

Al Jazeera deplores calls for its closure - Al Jazeera Media Network has seen  news reported by some news... https://t.co/Nnj1WtsnXE

— Al Jazeera PR (@AlJazeera) June 23, 2017

  Al-Jazeera added that it “deplores” calls for its closure. [caption id=“attachment_3533747” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Al Jazeera Media network’s logo. Reuters[/caption] Although there has been no official confirmation of the demands from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain among others, the list also apparently calls on Qatar to cut ties to groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State organisation, Al-Qaeda and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Qatar is also required to hand over opposition figures wanted by its three neighbours and Egypt. In addition to Al-Jazeera, it must also shut online information sites that it supports, according to the reported demands. Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s state minister for foreign affairs, warned Qatar faced a “divorce” if it did not comply with the demands. The list apparently gives Qatar 10 days to implement the demands. There has been no official response yet from Qatar, which has denied accusations that it supports extremists.