Freedom of the press: Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria are the worst, Lebanon is vanguard
Regional, Politics, 10/27/2004
The Sans Frontiers organization which is concerned with the press freedoms in the world said in a report yesterday that the countries of Eastern Asia, especially northern Korea, Burma and China, the Middle East countries especially Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria and Iraq are considered "the worst regions in the world" in the field of the press freedoms while northern Europe is described as " safe haven for journalists."
The report added, in its third classification issue for the freedom of the press in the world that Lebanon has restored back its position in the Arab states concerning the freedom of the press in occupying the rank number 87.
Concerning the Middle East, the report said that Saudi Arabia comes in 159, preceded by Iran 158 and then Syria is number 155, Libya 154 and Iraq 148.
The report gives two classifications for Israel. One for the "country of the freedom of the press in Israel " ( number 36 and the second number is over the violations committed by the Israeli occupation army against the press in the Palestinian territories ( number 115) while the Palestinian authority occupies number 127.
The report considers that Iran is the largest prison for journalists in the Middle East ( 14 detainees).
According to the same report, the situation of the press in Algeria has deteriorated (number 128 ) before the presidential elections which were held in April 2004, noting that there is no independent press in Tunisia ( 152) and Saudi Arabia, Syria and Libya.
The report considered that Iraq is the bloodiest country for the press as some 144 journalists were killed since the eruption of the war in March 2003.
The report indicated what it described the black points in the world of the freedom of the press especially in Cuba which came immediately before North Korea, on which the report said it represents the largest prison for pressmen in the world ( 26 detainees), while journalists are still vulnerable to killing in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Mexico.
Afghanistan ( 97) achieved a ( genuine improvement). In the USA (22) there are violations of the secrecy of resources and the difficulty for journalists to get entry visas and acts of arrests targeting journalists.
The report said that Turkey( 113) which is designated to join the European Union and despite "tangible progress" in the legislative field has not achieved "any notable progress in practice."
The organization deplored "the total control " by the side of the Kremlin on the media in Russia ( 140) during the hostages crisis in Beislan school in Northern Ostetia.