Eritrea ranks last in Press Freedom Index
Eritrea ranks last in the 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, replacing North Korea, Reporters Without Borders said.
North Korea is in the next-to-last place, following Turkmenistan.
In Eritrea, President Issaias Afeworki has abolished all privately owned news sources, the group said. Any journalists who criticize his regime are imprisoned and at least four have died in jail.
The group said it is especially concerned about the situation in China and Burma, which it ranks 163rd and 164th on the list of 169 countries. It said China appears to be making no effort to relax the government hold on the press as the 2008 Olympics approach, while Burma's recent crackdown on the opposition is a poor sign for journalists.
While European countries generally have a free press, Reporters Without Borders said that in Bulgaria reporters are routinely physically assaulted, while in Poland the government has refused to decriminalize press offenses.
In Russia, which ranks 144th on the list, there also is little sign of improvement. // Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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