Syria
Opression of media nears worst-in-the-world rankingPosted Feb 1 2012
Syria is now deemed the fourth worst country in the world for press freedom, Reporters Without Borders announced Jan. 25.
Due to government efforts to suppress Arab Spring uprisings in the last year, the country slid from 173rd to 176th in the Press Freedom Index.
The release of this index came two weeks after the January 11 killing of a prominent French journalist in Homs. Though there is no certain evidence, news agencies voiced suspicions that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime led the journalist to his death, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported.
Since uprisings began in the country in March 2011, Syrian journalists have experienced a variety of hazards, including disappearances, detainments and killings. Foreign correspondents have faced restrictive visa policies and government escorts.
Three days after the Press Freedom Index announcement, protracted violence in Syria prompted the Arab League to suspend its monitoring mission there, according to Reuters and the BBC.
The United Nations said the death toll since the beginning of the uprisings was over 5,000 people, the BBC reported.
A BBC timeline details events in Syria including developments during the Arab Spring.