CPJ's list of 10 Most Censored Countries is part of our annual publication, Attacks on the Press, which will be released in full on Monday, April 27, at 11 a.m. EST.
Repressive nations threaten jail terms, restrict Internet to silence press
Eritrea and North Korea are the firstand second most censored countries worldwide, according to a list
compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists of the 10 countries
where the press is most restricted. The list is based on research into
the use of tactics ranging from imprisonment and repressive laws to
harassment of journalists and restrictions on Internet access.
In Eritrea, President Isaias Afewerki
has succeeded in his campaign to crush independent journalism, creating
a media climate so oppressive that even reporters for state-run news
outlets live in constant fear of arrest. The threat of imprisonment has
led many journalists to choose exile rather than risk arrest. Eritrea is
Africa's worst jailer of journalists, with at least 23 behind bars-none of whom has been tried in court or even charged with a crime.
