Declaration by Eutelsat on the Roj TV Channel

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Jan 19, 2012, 11:31 ET

PARIS, January 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Further to the instruction of the Danish public prosecutor, the Court of Copenhagen delivered a verdict on 10 January 2012 that the Roj TV channel is an instrument of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with respect to their financial, structural and operational ties.

The Court consequently condemned Roj TV, declaring it guilty of facilitating and inciting participation in a terrorist organisation.

The PKK has been listed for a number of years as a terrorist organisation by the European Union.

Under these circumstances, Eutelsat has decided to suspend the presence of Roj TV on its satellites in order to avoid incurring criminal liability as an accomplice to terrorist activities.

Eutelsat has consequently asked distributors uplinking Roj TV to its satellites to suspend broadcasts of the channel.

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 29 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. As of 30 September 2011, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,950 television channels. More than 1,100 channels are broadcast via its HOT BIRD™ video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East alone which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ just over 700 commercial, technical and operational professionals from 30 countries.