Please wait...
Please wait...

Al Jazeera faces closure demand

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have demanded Qatar shut down its state broadcaster Al Jazeera, according to reports.

The request is one of 13 that Kuwait, acting as mediator, has sent to the Qataris on behalf of the four Middle Eastern countries amid an ongoing diplomatic crisis, the Associated Press says.

It stipulates that Qatar also shut down Al Jazeera’s affiliates, which could include its English-language sister news network that is available around the world.

Al Jazeera is one of the most widely watched Arabic channels, but has been criticised by other governments in the Middle East for airing extremist viewpoints.

The four Arab states have given Qatar 10 days to comply with all the demands, which also include cutting back diplomatic ties with Iran and severing all ties with transnational Sunni Islamist organisation the Muslim Brotherhood.

It follows Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain imposing diplomatic and economic sanctions on Qatar earlier this month over allegations that the country funds terrorism, something US president Donald Trump has also alleged and that Qatar has denied.

Qatar has questioned the legitimacy of the blockade, with Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, the country’s ambassador to the US, dismissing it as an attempt to “infringe upon Qatar’s sovereignty.”

Please wait...