Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated network closed in past over licensing Al-Yarmouk TV had claimed initial approval, waiting for final decision LONDON: Jordan’s media authority has filed a complaint against Al-Yarmouk Satellite Channel, accusing it of breaching broadcasting regulations, the Jordan News Agency reported on Tuesday. The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated network was closed down and referred to public prosecutors on charges of unauthorized activity and broadcasting from Jordan without obtaining government approval. “The Jordan Media Commission (JMC) had filed several complaints in the past in this regard, a number of which included a general pardon law, while the latest decision was issued by the highest judicial body in the Kingdom (Court of Cassation) and by written order,” the JMC’s Director-General Bashir Momani said in a statement. Sources close to the channel’s staff reported that security agencies raided the offices, seizing broadcasting equipment and preventing employees from entering. The channel employs 25 people. Momani explained that the decision was taken in accordance with the country’s Audiovisual Media Law, adding that the broadcasting equipment confiscated would be used as evidence in the case. This is not the first time Jordan’s authorities have closed the channel for broadcasting without a permit. Launched in 2013, the channel faced a similar shutdown two years later. Al-Yarmouk then worked with local companies and studios to produce and record its programs before transmitting them via satellite. In 2016, the Jordan Visual and Audio Authority issued a circular to production and distribution companies in the country, prohibiting “unlicensed” channels from transmitting via third parties without legal approval. At that time, the commission did not clarify the reasons for not licensing the channel but denied that the decision was politically motivated. The channel’s then-director, Khader Al-Mashaykh, later claimed that the network received initial approval but that the application was stalled while waiting for approval from Jordan’s prime minister. He added that authorities informed him Al-Yarmouk TV could continue operations while awaiting a final response. Momani suggested that the decision was not specifically targeted at the channel, emphasizing that the JMC would apply the law to any parties found in violation.