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 **   *****   *****     ***        PRESS RELEASE
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International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
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Date: 5 September 1996

WORLD: "Top 25" enemies of press freedom launched on RSF Web site

ORIGINATOR: Reporters sans frontieres (RSF), Paris

Of the 185 countries which belong to the United Nations, over
half do not respect press freedom. Among the latter, several
frequently resort to censorship and intimidation in order to
silence dissenting voices. Now, RSF has introduced its "Top 25"
enemies of press freedom list, located on its Web site. This list
details the 25 regimes that commit the most egregious violations
of press freedom. As well, there are hypertext links that enable
the browser to consult the corresponding chapter in RSF's Annual
Report as well as the latest reports from RSF missions to the
country in question.

The RSF Web site also offers the following features in both
French and English:

-a complete version of RSF's bimonthly newsletter, "La Lettre",
which will permit users to download and print articles dating
from November 1995
-a selection of articles, photographs and cartoons which have
been censored (for example, the cartoon drawn by Chawki Amari
which was published in the 2 July edition of the Algerian
newspaper "La Tribune" and which resulted in the cartoonist
receiving a three year suspended prison sentence for "offending
the national emblem")
-the RSF Annual Report, which examines the state of press freedom
in 149 countries.

The RSF Web site is designed to allow visitors to the site to
send appeals directly to authorities via electronic mail. In the
case of Jesus Alfonso Castiglione Mendoza, who was sentenced to
20 years in prison for terrorism, RSF has appended to its section
on the detained Peruvian journalist a letter of appeal which can
be sent directly to Peruvian authorities.

Finally, the Web site allows the user to communicate with the
staff at RSF about current press freedom issues.

For further information, contact RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie,
Paris 75009, France, tel:+33 1 44 83 84 84, fax:+33 1 45 23 11
51, e-mail: rsf@calvanet.calvacom.fr.

The information contained in this press release is the sole
responsibility of its originator.
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