Qatar files complaints against Al-Arabiya and Sky News Arabia

The state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA) has assigned the London-based law firm Carter-Ruck to file an official complaint with Ofcom, UK’s broadcasting and communications regulator, against the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel and Sky News Arabia for “violating impartiality code and accuracy in news’ sourcing”.

The complaint came following the channels’ recent transmission for what QNA described as “baseless statements”, which were falsely attributed to the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani after the agency was hacked on 24 May.

According to the complaint, the two channels did not comply with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, including those items that require impartiality and accuracy in the news, especially that QNA did not broadcast these statements on the FTP system, which is the globally adopted system in the exchange of news between Arab and international news agencies.

QNA’s recent hack has caused the publication of a number of fabricated statements that were attributed to the Qatari government.

The Qatar Government Communication Office (GCO) along with the Qatari foreign ministry have issued press statements addressing the agency hack as well as clarifying the true position towards the recently published fabricated statements.