Portugal ranks 18th in the 2017 Freedom of the Press Ranking, up five places from last year, according to a report released today by Reporters Without Borders.
According to the document, between January 2005 and January 2017, the European Court of Human Rights has condemned Portugal 21 times for violating Article 10 of the European Declaration of Human Rights, which protects freedom of expression. This is three more times than the EU average.
The report also underlines that 14 of the 21 cases refer to journalists sued for defamation.
According to Reporters Without Borders, since January this year, across the world eight journalists have been murdered and 193 journalists are currently imprisoned for reasons related to the practice of their profession.
According to the annual report, there exist "difficult" or "very serious" situations in 72 of 180 countries, including China, Russia and India, almost all nations of the Middle East and Central Asia, Central America, and two-thirds of the countries in Africa.
Reporters Without Borders, or Reporters Sans Frontières, is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press.
For rankings, see: https://rsf.org/en/ranking
Comments
The test of a nations freedoms is in its Equality of Opportunity. All other Freedoms such as speech and such like derive from this. Portugal still totally lacks this concept, totally handicapping its last 30 years in Europe. Denying opportunity not just to its own lower strata of citizens but also hundreds of thousands of entirely misled EU foreigners.
Impacting now on Brexit as the UK must now take over pensions and social support for its hundred thousand plus Portuguese. For years to come.
It is indicative of the retardedness left from the Salazar years that whatever new daily scandal that is unfolding on the Portuguese nations daily news - not a murmur is heard from the populace. With true Freedom of Speech there would not be a hint of any 'Municipal Autocrat Dinosaurs' like Isaltino Morais returning to power. There is even a phrase you will 'Only in Portugal'. Not entirely true as Greece, amongst other EU states, mirrors these many identical traits !