Rankings of Syria, Yemen and Bahrain at their worst

Paris: Syria, Bahrain and Yemen received their worst ever press freedom rankings on Wednesday in the Reporters Without Borders' index for 2011, following a tumultuous year that saw the downfall of several Arab dictators.

Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan came right at the bottom of the 10th annual list by the press freedom group, with a clutch of European states-led by Finland, Norway and Estonia at the top.

This year's index saw many changes in the rankings that reflect a year in which many media organisations paid dearly for their coverage of popular uprisings against veteran autocratic leaders, RSF said.

"Control of news and information continued to tempt governments and to be a question of survival for totalitarian and repressive regimes," the Paris-based group said.

RSF said it was no surprise that the same trio of countries - Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan - were bottom of the list because they were "absolute dictatorships that permit no civil liberties".

Manipulation

They are immediately preceded at the bottom by Syria, Iran and China, it said.

Tunisia rose 30 places from last year's index to 134th. Egypt fell 39 places to 166th "because the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in power since February, dashed the hopes of democrats by continuing the [ousted president Hosni] Mubarak dictatorship's practices."

"Total censorship, widespread surveillance, indiscriminate violence and government manipulation made it impossible for journalists to work" in Syria last year, which fell to 176th position in the index.