Reporters sans frontires - Third Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index

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East Asia and Middle East have worst press freedom records
Iraq is the world's deadliest country for journalists and Iran is the region's biggest prison
Too many journalists stripped of their freedom
With 14 journalists detained, Iran (158th) is the Middle-East's biggest prison for the press. Not satisfied with putting journalists behind bars, the conservatives in 2004 began a systematic crackdown on Internet sites which sprang up after most of the country's reformist newspapers were suspended or closed down for good.
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Third Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index