World Press Freedom Day Marked

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has been called one of the world's worst press censors (file photo) (CTK) May 3, 2006 -- Media rights organizations are marking today's World Press Freedom Day with calls for more freedom of expresssion in many countries.

In Turkey, 12 press associations called on the government in Ankara to give up plans to introduce what they called "archaic" media laws which could mean jail for many journalists.

The U.S.-based rights group Freedom House criticized Kazakhstan, noting the family and supporters of President Nursultan Nazarbaev control most of Kazakhstan's broadcast media. Opposition media face regular harassment, and newspaper closures are common.

The media watchdog group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that North Koreans live in the most heavily censored country in the world. In a report on the "10 Most Censored Countries," it also named Burma, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Eritrea, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Syria, and Belarus.

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a report saying that last year was the deadliest for journalists in a decade, with 63 reporters and five media aides killed around the world.

(compiled from agency reports)