Eritrea tops globe’s worst censor’s nation list
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May 3, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) - Eritrea has become the world’s worst
nation in terms of censorship, according to a new report by a press
watchdog, surpassing the long-time leading nation of the list, North
Korea.
JPEG - 24.1 kb
Newstand in Asmara, Eritrea (AFP)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday released the
list of the world’s top ten most censored countries, putting Eritrea
on top followed by North Korea, Syria then Iran.
“In the name of stability or development these regimes suppress
independent reporting, amplify propaganda and use technology to
control rather than empower their own citizens” CPJ executive
director, Joel Simon said.
“Journalists are seen as a threat and often pay high price for the
reporting” he said adding “but because the internet and trade have
made information global domestic censorship affects people every
where”.
Foreign journalists have log been denied access to Eritrea. The state
government remains in control of the media. At least 25 Eritrean
journalists remain detained languishing in prisons indefinitely
without charges pressed against them.
For those journalists remaining in Eritrea, straying from the party
line can lead to a lengthy prison sentence.
“Every time a journalist had to write a story they arrange for
interview subjects and tell you specific angles you have to write on”
CPJ quoted an anonymous Eritrean journalist as saying.
Marking World Press Freedom Day, the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) called for the release of all journalists facing
detention for their journalistic work.
IFG general secretary, Beth Costa, urged world governments to respect
international obligations and commit to enforcing journalists rights,
further urging them to make the release of all jailed journalists
their top priority.
Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Belarus
are also listed on the top ten most censored nations of the world, CPJ
revealed.
The same sentiment was expressed by Reporters Without Borders (RWB),
which described Eritrea as "Africa’s biggest jail for the media". It
claims 30 journalists are currently in detention there. It also claims
that since the start of 2012, one Eritrean news provider has been
killed every five days.
RWB describe the content produced by the Eritrean state media as
"worthy of the Soviet era."
(ST)
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