Reporters Without Borders, Press Freedom Rankings, Zimbabwe 140th


Press freedom is genuine is Benin (23rd), Namibia (26th), Mauritius 32nd), Ghana (34th), Mali (35th), South Africa (44th) and Cape Verde (45th) and comparable to that in Western democracies. It does not exist or is constantly under attack in Eritrea (166th), Gambia (149th), Somalia (144th), Democratic Republic of Congo (142nd), Zimbabwe (140th) and Equatorial Guinea (137th). The same African countries have featured at the top and bottom of the Index for several years.

Nepal has moved one step up in Worldwide Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders on Monday. Moving one step up, Nepal's ranking for 2006 in Press Freedom is 159.
Press freedom in Nepal has shifted according to the state of the fighting that has disrupted the country for several years, stated a press release issued by Reporters Without Borders. The released further added, the "democratic revolution" and the revolt against the monarchy in April this year led immediately to more basic freedoms and the country should gain a lot of ground in next year's Index.

According to the release, new countries have moved ahead of some Western democracies in the fifth annual Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index, while the most repressive countries are still the same ones.

"Unfortunately nothing has changed in the countries that are the worst predators of press freedom," the organisation said, "and journalists in North Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Cuba, Burma and China are still risking their life or imprisonment for trying to keep us informed. These situations are extremely serious and it is urgent that leaders of these countries accept criticism and stop routinely cracking down on the media so harshly," stated the release.

"Each year new countries in less-developed parts of the world move up the Index to positions above some European countries or the United States. This is good news and shows once again that, even though very poor, countries can be very observant of freedom of expression. Meanwhile the steady erosion of press freedom in the United States, France and Japan is extremely alarming," Reporters Without Borders said.

The three worst violators of free expression, according to the Reporters Without Borders -- are North Korea, bottom of the Index at 168th place, Turkmenistan (167th) and Eritrea (166th) -- have clamped down further.