According to the press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for 2024, Uzbekistan has fallen 11 places to 148th out of 180 countries. The country's media freedom situation has deteriorated from "difficult" to "very serious."

The report states that following President Islam Karimov's death, media conditions slightly improved, but criticizing those in power remains extremely complicated.

Reportedly, officials have not yet implemented the necessary reforms to abolish repressive laws against media. Censorship, surveillance, and self-censorship are widespread.

The situation of media freedom in the country has moved from "difficult" to "very serious" (dark red on the map).

Experts again mentioned the case of blogger Otabek Sattoriy and the pressure on journalists who covered the protests in Nukus in the summer of 2022.

In Central Asia, the situation regarding press freedom is as follows: Kazakhstan ranks 142nd (-8), Kyrgyzstan ranks 120th (+2), Turkmenistan 175th (+1), and Tajikistan 155th (-2).

Neighboring Afghanistan has seen a significant deterioration, falling 26 places to rank 178th.

Global Context

According to the annual World Press Freedom Index, political attacks on press freedom, including detaining journalists, repressing independent media, and spreading misinformation, significantly increased last year globally.

Norway, Denmark, and Sweden occupied the top spots for freedom of speech, while Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea were at the very bottom of the 180 nations.

In the index, Belarus dropped 10 places to 167th, Georgia (103rd, -26), Azerbaijan (164th, -13), and Türkiye (158th, - 7), with their press freedom conditions worsening.

"Russia, where Vladimir Putin was remarkably re-elected in 2024 (162nd place, +2), continues to wage war in Ukraine (61st place, +18), greatly affecting the media ecosystem and the safety of journalists," the experts state.

"RSF observes a worrying decline in respect and support for the autonomy of the media as well as intensifying pressure from the state or other political players. The role of states and other political forces in defending press freedom is diminishing," the report adds.

According to RSF, since October 2023, over 100 Palestinian journalists in Gaza, including at least 22 killed while on duty.

The report also mentions that since the beginning of 2024, 12 journalists have been killed, and 544 journalists and 26 media workers have been detained.