The U.S.-based rights group Freedom House criticized Kazakhstan, noting the family and supporters of President Nursultan Nazarbaev control most of Kazakhstan's broadcast media. Opposition media face regular harassment, and newspaper closures are common.
The media watchdog group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that North Koreans live in the most heavily censored country in the world. In a report on the "10 Most Censored Countries," it also named Burma, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Eritrea, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Syria, and Belarus.
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a report saying that last year was the deadliest for journalists in a decade, with 63 reporters and five media aides killed around the world.
(compiled from agency reports)
World Press Freedom Day
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RFE/RL's Press Freedom Day stories:
Iraq: Covering The Most Dangerous Beat On Earth
Afghanistan: Women In Journalism Battle Restrictions, Threats
Iran: State Maintains Tight Control Over Information
CIS: Press Freedom In Former Soviet Union Under Assault
Central Asia: Bureaucratic Obstacles Hinder Journalists
Central Asia: Governments Wary Of Independent Media
Central Asia: Journalists Still Face Harassment, Threats
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