"Hezbollah condemns Arabsat and Nilesat's decision to stop broadcasting the channel Al-Alam, a decision made on political grounds," the party said in a statement about the Arabic-language channel.

"Hezbollah declares its solidarity with the channel and considers this a violation of freedom of speech and opinion," the statement said.

Arabsat and Egyptian Nilesat this week stopped broadcasting Al-Alam on the grounds it was in breach of contract, the press reported.

But Al-Alam's Beirut bureau chief, Atef Moussawi, said the decision was as punishment for the channel supporting Hezbollah.

"Al-Alam is paying the price for its support of the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine," Moussawi said in a television interview.

Iran, along with ally Syria, is a major backer of Hezbollah.

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