Tashkent responds to Uzbekistan's drop in the press freedom ranking

In the latest report released by the international NGO "Reporters Without Borders" in early May of this year, Uzbekistan fell to the 148th position out of 180 countries in the 2024 press freedom index, marking an 11-place decline from the previous year. So far, the official response from Tashkent regarding this downgrade has been absent. However, Komil Allamjonov, the head of the Department of Information Policy of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, has finally addressed the country's declining position in the ranking.

"There is a change in our ratings regarding press freedom. However, if we do not bring the free press to the legal arena today, if we do not solve the problems in the courts, instead of progress, we will cause chaos to appear, and the number of victims will increase as a result of allowing various illegal actions, blackmail, and fraud as a journalist or blogger. Unfortunately, such cases have happened. I think that similar events also affected the structure of the rating," Komil Allamjonov wrote on his Telegram channel.

On May 10, Allamjonov convened a meeting with representatives from non-governmental television channels to discuss matters concerning freedom of speech, national content, and the creation of high-quality media content for children. He reiterated President Mirziyoyev's unwavering stance on press freedom and emphasized the necessity of openness as a cornerstone for progress.

“Development is never smooth. There will be development only when the rules of the game are clear and equal for everyone. Freedom of speech is everyone's right. Both the press and the persons represented in it. It is important to maintain this balance. So there is no turning back, that's for sure. Just forward. Forward - within the framework of rights, norms and laws, forward," wrote Allamjonov.

He went on to say that there may still be many more problems, calling it a natural process.

"But these problems should not overshadow the reforms we have started. Because in today's era, the press is not only a mirror, but an institution at the level of defense and security," he says.

Regarding Uzbekistan's press freedom, a "Reporters Without Borders" report depicts the country in dark red, indicating a "very serious" state of press freedom with four journalists arrested since 2024. Despite this, necessary reforms to address repressive media laws are yet to be implemented, with censorship, surveillance, and self-censorship widespread.

The international situation also faces challenges, with a lack of political will hindering the implementation of principles protecting journalists, exemplified by the failure to uphold UN Security Council Resolution 2222. The conflict in Gaza has seen unprecedented violations against journalists and the media since October 2023, with over 100 Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli Defense Forces, including 22 while on duty.

Palestine, under constant Israeli bombardment and occupation, ranked 157th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, placing in the bottom 10 for journalists' safety.