Bahrain / Middle East & North Africa

Major political reforms augured well for press freedom in the tiny Persian Gulf country of Bahrain, which was plagued by social tension and political unrest for part of the 1990s. In a mid-February referendum, voters overwhelmingly approved Emir Sheikh Hamed Bin Issa al-Khalifa’s national charter, which seeks to transform the country into a constitutional monarchy…

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about recent criminal charges brought against Bahraini journalist Hafedh ash-Shaikh Saleh, apparently based on his public criticisms of the government.

Syria’s press showed signs of life after Bashar al-Assad succeeded his iron-fisted father last year, but the thaw proved fleeting.

By Joel CampagnaRoyal succession and rubber-stamp elections set the tone for a year in which Middle Eastern and North African governments continued to restrict press freedoms through a combination of censorship, intimidation, and media monopoly. Ballots in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen produced few surprises as longtime rulers stayed in power and maintained formidable obstacles…

Africa For the third consecutive year, Ethiopia held more journalists in jail–31 at year’s end–than any other country in Africa. Most were detained without charges.