Iran has banned activities of the US-based CNN TV channel for
its misinterpretation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks,
the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
?
Press cards of CNN reporters are being invalid and CNN reporters
will not longer be granted press cards because they have violated
professional ethics, a statement of the Ministry of Culture and
Islamic Guidance was quoted as saying. However, the statement said
any revision in the decision "depends on performance of CNN in
future."
Ahmadinejad told a press conference on Saturday that the
peaceful use of nuclear energy is a right which Iran can not be
denied, but in CNN live coverage, his remarks were interpreted into
that "the use of nuclear weapons is Iran's right." IRNA said in an
earlier report that CNN had officially apologized for misquoting
Ahmadinejad and made clarification for the mistake.
Tehran insists that the mistake be unforgivable because CNN
chief correspondent to Tehran Christian Amanpour, who was present
at the conference, was born in Iran and knows the Persian language
well.
(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2006)
