RSF Press Freedom Index ranks Belarus in bottom 15

May 2, Pozirk. Belarus ranks 166th of 180 assessed countries and territories in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The ranking placed Belarus between Cuba and Azerbaijan, stressing that the country continues a massive crackdown on independent media outlets and journalists. Last year, it was down 10 places in the RSF Index after being 157th in 2023.
Belarus is one of the 34 countries, along with Nicaragua, Iran, Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, that stand out for the mass closures of their media outlets and exile of journalists in recent years, the RSF noted.
Access to independent information in Belarus is restricted due to “economic asphyxiation” of the media outlets operating from exile that are forced to carry out mass layoffs due to a lack of local revenue and US support, the analysis said.
Globally, press freedom is also threatened as the Index described the conditions for practicing journalism as “difficult” or “very serious” in over half of the world’s countries and satisfactory in fewer than one in four.
The world’s 10 best countries for journalists are Norway, Estonia, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
Russia, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, China, North Korea and Eritrea conclude the ranking with the worst press freedom score.
On the eve of May 3, World Press Freedom Day, at least 40 media workers are behind bars in Belarus, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.
 
                        Amnesty International: reprisals against media, civil society intensified in 2024
- Politics, SocietyVilnius Airport suspends operations for three hours over balloon incursionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus' top diplomat says Minsk ready to back North Korea internationallyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, Security
- EconomyBelarus supplied 2,000 tractors to Nigeria – deputy PMThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyPoland to reopen Belarus border crossings in mid-November – officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja meets Pashinyan in Paris, reaffirms wish to visit ArmeniaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights groups label former comedian, four others as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus eyes Africa’s untapped trade potential – ŁukašenkaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Society
- PoliticsRussia extradites Belarusian man convicted over online jokeThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarusian opposition embassies abroad offer solutions to legalization issuesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLegalization of exiled Belarusians high on agenda of Congress of Local and Regional AuthoritiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security, Society
- Politics, SecuritySwitzerland joins EU latest sanctions against BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, SecurityEU slams Belarus over “provocative actions” against LithuaniaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyLending to economy rises 14 percent since January – HałoŭčankaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB brands eight regime critics as terroristsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja's team prioritizing Belarusians affected by Lithuanian border closureThe material is available only to POZIRK+



