The latest findings from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) place Afghanistan among the lowest-ranking nations for journalist safety and press freedom, only slightly better than Syria and Eritrea.

The World Press Freedom Index, unveiled on World Press Freedom Day by RSF, positions Afghanistan at 178th with a score of 19.09, closely followed by Syria and Eritrea with scores of 17.41 and 16.64, ranking them 179th and 180th, respectively.

The decline of Afghanistan by 26 positions in the index is attributed by RSF to the fatalities and detentions of journalists within the country. The organization highlighted, “Under the Taliban’s reign, Afghanistan, home to 40 million people, has witnessed the erosion of press freedom and jeopardization of journalist safety, especially for women in the field. Media entities are now under the thumb of the Taliban-led government’s directives.”

RSF also noted the global trend of political authorities undermining press freedom, which ideally they should uphold.

Since reclaiming power nearly three years ago, the Taliban regime has apprehended numerous journalists and enforced strict media regulations, including requiring female news presenters to cover their faces and, in certain instances, banning women from participating in broadcasts altogether.

The World Press Freedom Index, assessing the freedom and independence of journalists across 180 countries, has documented a worldwide downturn in press freedom amidst political crackdowns on journalists and media establishments during a year of significant democratic elections.

Anne Bocandé, editorial director of RSF, expressed concern over the diminishing support and respect for media independence, pointing out, “Political and state actors are progressively abandoning their protective stance towards press freedom, often resorting to more hostile strategies that undermine the media’s role or manipulate it through harassment and disinformation campaigns.”

The report indicates the highest governmental curbs on press freedom were observed in the Maghreb and Middle East regions. Over the past year, authorities in these areas have intensified efforts to dominate the media landscape through violence, detentions, and stringent legislation, fostering an environment of “systematic impunity for acts of violence against journalists.”

Since October 2023, the death toll of Palestinian journalists in Gaza has surpassed 100, including at least 22 fatalities while reporting. Additionally, the situation in Sudan has seen a marked deterioration with severe restrictions on independent reporting of violence and civil strife. The plight of journalists in Syria continues to worsen, with those escaping repression facing threats of expulsion from neighboring countries such as Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon. Furthermore, RSF underscored that Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran remain among the top nations incarcerating journalists and targeting media workers.