Belarus Appears Between Congo, Rwanda With Regard To Press Freedom Level

Our country is ranked 155th out of 180.

International human rights organization Reporters without Borders has lowered the rating of Belarus in its annual Press Freedom Index upon the results of 2018. In total, the rating covers 180 countries. Previously, our country was at the 153rd place, and now — at the 155th. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda occupy the nearest places in the rating, writes tut.by.

The report authors say renewed escalation of repression was observed in Belarus within this year.

"The last dictatorship in Europe continues judicial prosecution of independent journalists and reinforces Internet censorship. In 2017, more than 100 journalists were arrested, most often, when covering opposition protests. Some of them were beaten, others were arrested. The persecution of freelance journalists working for independent media located abroad, who cannot obtain accreditation, has reached an unprecedented level," stated in the report.

Belarus has been included in the rating since 2013. Then our country was ranked 157th out of 180, and this did not change until 2017, when it managed to climb up for a few points - to the 153rd place.

The first place this year is traditionally occupied by the Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands. Russia took the 148th place, Ukraine - 101st, Poland - 58th, Lithuania - 36th, and Latvia - 24th.