ROG: 38 "enemies of freedom of the press
To mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is releasing its list of the biggest «enemies of press freedom.» The title goes to 38 heads of state and government, kings, paramilitary groups, criminal networks, and organizations.
A long-time "enemy of press freedom," Tunisian ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has disappeared from the list. Instead, according to ROG, the situation in other Arab states has stagnated or worsened. Ten of the enemies are to be found in the Middle East/North Africa region, as was the case last year. A new addition this year is the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Chalifa. "The crackdown on demonstrations in Syria, Yemen or Bahrain is accompanied by violence against members of the press and massive censorship," said Michael Rediske, ROG board spokesman.
Nine "enemies" come from European countries and states of the former Soviet Union. In many CIS countries, media freedom has been at a standstill for years, the organization says. The list also includes non-state groups such as private militias in the Philippines, Islamist groups such as the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, criminal groups such as the Italian mafia, the Spanish terrorist organization Eta and drug cartels in Mexico. A detailed list is available on the website Rsf-ch.ch to find.
In a video, the organization also informs about the actions on the occasion of the International Press Freedom Day.
