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South Africa
A Protection of Information Bill being pursued by the African National Congress would threaten press freedom by allowing the government to classify broad categories of information in the “national interest.” Read more on South Africa at Freedom in the World 2010: South Africa

Somalia
Journalist Barkhad Awale Adan was killed in Mogadishu when he was caught in the crossfire between the government and the Islamist group Al-Shabaab. Growing violence in the city has reduced the ability of the media to function. Read more on Somalia at Freedom in the World 2010: Somalia

Uganda
The Constitutional Court scrapped the law on sedition, thus protecting the population’s basic right to freedom of speech and expression, including the right to criticize those in power. Read more on Uganda at Freedom in the World 2010: Uganda

Iran
Three judiciary officials have been suspended due to the mistreatment of detainees at a holding center following last year’s disputed presidential election. Read more on Iran at Freedom in the World 2010: Iran

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Table of Independent Countries, 2007

2007 Edition

Trend Arrow Country PR CL Freedom Rating
  Afghanistan 5 5 Partly Free
Albania* 3 3 Partly Free
  Algeria 6 5 Not Free
  Andorra* 1 1 Free
  Angola 6 5 Not Free
  Antigua and Barbuda* 2 2 Free
Argentina* 2 2 Free
  Armenia 5 4 Partly Free
  Australia* 1 1 Free
  Austria* 1 1 Free
Azerbaijan 6 5 Not Free
  Bahamas* 1 1 Free
Bahrain 5 5 Partly Free
  Bangladesh* 4 4 Partly Free
  Barbados* 1 1 Free
  Belarus 7 6 Not Free
  Belgium* 1 1 Free
  Belize* 1 2 Free
Benin* 2 2 Free
  Bhutan 6 5 Not Free
  Bolivia* 3 3 Partly Free
  Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 3 Partly Free
  Botswana* 2 2 Free
Brazil* 2 2 Free
  Brunei 6 5 Not Free
  Bulgaria* 1 2 Free
  Burkina Faso 5 3 Partly Free
Burma 7 7 Not Free
  Burundi* 4 5 Partly Free
  Cambodia 6 5 Not Free
  Cameroon 6 6 Not Free
  Canada* 1 1 Free
  Cape Verde* 1 1 Free
  Central African Republic* 5 4 Partly Free
  Chad 6 6 Not Free
  Chile* 1 1 Free
  China 7 6 Not Free
  Colombia* 3 3 Partly Free
  Comoros* 3 4 Partly Free
  Congo (Brazzaville) 6 5 Not Free
  Congo (Kinshasa) 5 6 Not Free
  Costa Rica* 1 1 Free
  Cote d’Ivoire 7 6 Not Free
Croatia* 2 2 Free
  Cuba 7 7 Not Free
  Cyprus* 1 1 Free
  Czech Republic* 1 1 Free
  Denmark* 1 1 Free
  Djibouti 5 5 Partly Free
  Dominica* 1 1 Free
  Dominican Republic* 2 2 Free
  East Timor* 3 4 Partly Free
  Ecuador* 3 3 Partly Free
Egypt 6 5 Not Free
  El Salvador* 2 3 Free
  Equatorial Guinea 7 6 Not Free
Eritrea 7 6 Not Free
  Estonia* 1 1 Free
Ethiopia 5 5 Partly Free
  Fiji 6 4 Partly Free
  Finland* 1 1 Free
  France* 1 1 Free
  Gabon 6 4 Partly Free
The Gambia 5 4 Partly Free
  Georgia* 3 3 Partly Free
  Germany* 1 1 Free
  Ghana* 1 2 Free
  Greece* 1 2 Free
  Grenada* 1 2 Free
  Guatemala* 3 4 Partly Free
  Guinea 6 5 Not Free
  Guinea-Bissau* 4 4 Partly Free
  Guyana* 2 3 Free
  Haiti* 4 5 Partly Free
  Honduras* 3 3 Partly Free
Hungary* 1 1 Free
  Iceland* 1 1 Free
  India* 2 3 Free
  Indonesia* 2 3 Free
Iran 6 6 Not Free
  Iraq 6 6 Not Free
  Ireland* 1 1 Free
  Israel* 1 2 Free
Italy* 1 1 Free
  Jamaica* 2 3 Free
  Japan* 1 2 Free
  Jordan 5 4 Partly Free
  Kazakhstan 6 5 Not Free
Kenya* 3 3 Partly Free
  Kiribati* 1 1 Free
  Kuwait 4 4 Partly Free
Kyrgyzstan 5 4 Partly Free
  Laos 7 6 Not Free
  Latvia* 1 1 Free
  Lebanon 5 4 Partly Free
  Lesotho* 2 3 Free
  Liberia* 3 4 Partly Free
  Libya 7 7 Not Free
  Liechtenstein* 1 1 Free
  Lithuania* 1 1 Free
  Luxembourg* 1 1 Free
  Macedonia* 3 3 Partly Free
  Madagascar* 4 3 Partly Free
  Malawi* 4 3 Partly Free
Malaysia 4 4 Partly Free
Maldives 6 5 Not Free
  Mali* 2 2 Free
  Malta* 1 1 Free
  Marshall Islands* 1 1 Free
  Mauritania 5 4 Partly Free
  Mauritius* 1 2 Free
  Mexico* 2 3 Free
  Micronesia* 1 1 Free
  Moldova* 3 4 Partly Free
  Monaco* 2 1 Free
  Mongolia* 2 2 Free
  Montenegro* 3 3 Partly Free
  Morocco 5 4 Partly Free
  Mozambique* 3 4 Partly Free
  Namibia* 2 2 Free
  Nauru* 1 1 Free
  Nepal 5 4 Partly Free
  Netherlands* 1 1 Free
  New Zealand* 1 1 Free
  Nicaragua* 3 3 Partly Free
  Niger* 3 3 Partly Free
  Nigeria 4 4 Partly Free
  North Korea 7 7 Not Free
  Norway* 1 1 Free
  Oman 6 5 Not Free
  Pakistan 6 5 Not Free
  Palau* 1 1 Free
  Panama* 1 2 Free
  Papua New Guinea* 3 3 Partly Free
  Paraguay* 3 3 Partly Free
  Peru* 2 3 Free
Philippines* 3 3 Partly Free
  Poland* 1 1 Free
  Portugal* 1 1 Free
  Qatar 6 5 Not Free
Romania* 2 2 Free
  Russia 6 5 Not Free
  Rwanda 6 5 Not Free
  Saint Kitts and Nevis* 1 1 Free
  Saint Lucia* 1 1 Free
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines* 2 1 Free
  Samoa* 2 2 Free
  San Marino* 1 1 Free
  Sao Tome and Principe* 2 2 Free
  Saudi Arabia 7 6 Not Free
  Senegal* 2 3 Free
  Serbia* 3 2 Free
Seychelles* 3 3 Partly Free
  Sierra Leone* 4 3 Partly Free
  Singapore 5 4 Partly Free
  Slovakia* 1 1 Free
  Slovenia* 1 1 Free
  Solomon Islands 4 3 Partly Free
  Somalia 7 7 Not Free
  South Africa* 2 2 Free
  South Korea* 1 2 Free
  Spain* 1 1 Free
  Sri Lanka* 4 4 Partly Free
  Sudan 7 7 Not Free
  Suriname* 2 2 Free
  Swaziland 7 5 Not Free
  Sweden* 1 1 Free
  Switzerland* 1 1 Free
  Syria 7 6 Not Free
  Taiwan* 2 1 Free
  Tajikistan 6 5 Not Free
  Tanzania 4 3 Partly Free
  Thailand 7 4 Not Free
  Togo 6 5 Not Free
  Tonga 5 3 Partly Free
  Trinidad and Tobago* 2 2 Free
  Tunisia 6 5 Not Free
  Turkey* 3 3 Partly Free
  Turkmenistan 7 7 Not Free
  Tuvalu* 1 1 Free
  Uganda 5 4 Partly Free
  Ukraine* 3 2 Free
  United Arab Emirates 6 5 Not Free
  United Kingdom* 1 1 Free
  United States* 1 1 Free
  Uruguay* 1 1 Free
  Uzbekistan 7 7 Not Free
  Vanuatu* 2 2 Free
  Venezuela* 4 4 Partly Free
  Vietnam 7 5 Not Free
  Yemen 5 5 Partly Free
  Zambia* 3 4 Partly Free
Zimbabwe 7 6 Not Free

PR and CL stand for Political Rights and Civil Liberties, respectively; 1 represents the most free and 7 the least free rating. The ratings reflect an overall judgment based on survey results.

 or indicates a change in Political Rights or Civil Liberties since the last survey.

 or    up or down indicates a trend arrow.

*indicates a country’s status as an electoral democracy.

NOTE:  The ratings reflect global events from December 1, 2005, through December 31, 2006.