Report on the state of the press in the Arab states
Regional, Politics, 5/10/2003

The recent annual report of the Reporters Without Borders has depicted conditions of the press and the media in 139 countries during 2002, concerning imposed prescribed laws restrictions and the quality of sanctions and the extent of the state's monopoly of the press and the nature of violations which impede the freedom of the press and expression.

As for the Arab states, Several states use every means to control the media and stifle any dissenting voice. No Arab state is among the top 50. Lebanon ranked best among with a rating of 56 followed by Bahrain with number 67.

The Arab states occupied the following positions: Kuwait number 78, Morocco number 89, Algeria number 95, Djibouti number 96, Jordan number 99, Egypt number 101, Yemen number 103, Sudan number 105, Saudi Arabia number 125, Syria number 126 and Tunisia number 128, Libya number 129, Iraq number 130.

The political weakening of the Palestinian Authority (82nd) means it has made few assaults on press freedom. However, Islamic fundamentalist opposition media have been closed, several attempts made to intimidate and attack local and foreign journalists and many subjects remain taboo. The aim is to convey a united image of the Palestinian people and to conceal aspects such a demonstrations of support for attacks on Israel.

The report said "The top end of the list shows that rich countries have no monopoly of press freedom. Costa Rica and Benin are examples of how growth of a free press does not just depend on a country's material prosperity.

The index was drawn up by asking journalists, researchers and legal experts to answer 50 questions about the whole range of press freedom violations (such as murders or arrests of journalists, censorship, pressure, state monopolies in various fields, punishment of press law offences and regulation of the media). The final list includes 139 countries. The others were not included in the absence of reliable information."

Previous Stories:
  US: international law as a hindrance to resolving world problems   (5/9/2003)
  AL delegation visits Garang; Khartoum renews accusation to Israel of supporting its rebels   (5/9/2003)
  Calls in Morocco to foil G-8 summit   (5/7/2003)
  Egyptian National Council for Human Rights   (5/6/2003)
  Arab Journalists Union praises Jordan's decision to cancel jail sentences against journalists   (4/25/2003)
  Moroccan journalist prevented from leaving country to respond to slur lawsuits, minister says   (4/19/2003)
  Attacks on journalists, a war crime, Arab press body   (4/9/2003)
  Saudi Arabia: the first Journalists commission established   (2/25/2003)
  Two Jordanian journalists freed, a third was arrested   (2/21/2003)
  Washington expels an Iraqi journalist   (2/15/2003)
  Jordanian journalists held in custody   (1/18/2003)
  Yemeni journalists voice solidarity with Nafe   (8/6/2002)
  Yemen halts judicial measures against journalists   (7/20/2002)
  Journalists association deplores detention of Palestinian journalists by Israel   (7/13/2002)
  US protests; Saudi Arabia fires writer for article on Jews   (3/22/2002)
  Journalists call for press freedom in the Arab world   (1/11/2002)
  Bahraini court suspends a sentence bans a journalist from writing   (1/5/2002)
  Some 8 Arab journalists were killed because of their career in 2001   (1/4/2002)
  Bahraini journalist files a case against information minister over banning him from writing   (12/6/2001)
  Nayouf is not a Syrian journalist   (6/30/2001)
  Sudan: Torabi's son deny attempt to assassinate journalist Mohammed Taha   (9/28/2000)
  An assassination attempt against Sudanese journalist   (9/23/2000)
  Agreement signed between Egyptian government, Arab journalists Union   (7/18/2000)
  Damascus: Journalist Mustafa al-Alloush released   (7/17/2000)
  Arab journalists union voices solidarity with jailed Yemeni colleague   (7/13/2000)
  Palestinian government released detained journalist   (6/27/2000)
  Tunisian journalist ends hunger strike   (5/16/2000)
  Tunisian pardon for journalist Taoufik Ben Brik   (5/4/2000)
  Journalists union decries prison sentences in press cases   (4/29/2000)
  Tunisian journalist freezes hunger strike   (4/27/2000)
  Odai Hussein wins journalism and possible regional implications   (4/17/2000)
  Arab Journalists Union protests arrest of five Sudanese journalists   (3/27/2000)
  Group of Arab journalists attend training session on human rights in Rabat   (10/25/1999)
  Group of Arab journalists attend training session on human rights in Rabat   (10/25/1999)
  Palestinian journalists appeal to Arafat to reopen television station   (10/22/1999)
  Kuwaiti Journalists call for protection of press from administrative intervention   (10/22/1999)
  Arab Journalists ask governments to increase press freedom   (5/7/1999)
  Moroccan minister says freedom of expression is major problem facing journalism in the Arab states   (3/26/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search