Independent media in the countries of the former Soviet Union, already operating under extreme duress, came under further assault over the course of the last year. The political, legal, and economic environments in most of the non-Baltic former Soviet countries remain distinctly inhospitable to independent journalism.
This reality is reflected in ‘Freedom Of The Press 2006,’ the latest edition of Freedom House’s annual global survey of media independence. Ten of the 12 Soviet countries are ranked ‘Not Free’ in the new edition of the survey. Of the 10 Not Free countries, five saw a further erosion in their performance over the course of last year.
Of the 12 non-Baltic former Soviet states only Georgia and Ukraine, which are categorised as ‘Partly Free,’ escape the Not Free designation. No country in the region achieves the designation of ‘Free.’ The degree to which each country permits the free flow of information determines the classification of its media as ‘Free,’ ‘Partly Free,’ or ‘Not Free.’
The downward trend was particularly evident in countries with regimes that place a premium on controlling the airwaves. Among the Not Free states, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan experienced declines. Uzbekistan and Russia suffered the most dramatic backslide.
Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty