In the Freedom of the Press Index for 2023, compiled by the international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders, Uzbekistan ranked 137 out of 180 countries. Last year, the republic occupied the 133rd place.
“Uzbekistan has no private television network. State-owned radio transmits official propaganda, privately owned radio stations abstain from any criticism for fear of being shut down, and the written press serves state interests. Only about 15 online media outlets, some of them based abroad, publish quality content,” the report says.
It is emphasized that the authorities largely control the media, as well as a number of bloggers with close ties to the government.
Experts say the authorities have yet to implement the reforms needed to end repressive media laws.
“Surveillance, censorship and self-censorship are prevalent. To preserve their independence, some local online outlets avoid officially registering as media, at the risk of being prosecuted and facing heavy fines for what they publish,” the document says.
It is also said that many media outlets have still not been able to achieve full financial independence.
In addition, representatives of the international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders spoke about the problems of legislation in the field of media work.
Like last year, they recalled the case of blogger Otabek Sattoriy.
It should be recalled that in the Freedom of the Press Index for 2022, Uzbekistan improved its rating by 24 positions, rising from 157th to 133rd place.
