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The list of 10 places represents the full range of current threats to press freedom. At the top of the list is Iraq, where nine journalists covering the U.S.-led war were killed in action during the first three weeks of hostilities. Four other journalists died in accidents or from illness. A brutal crackdown launched in Cuba by Fidel Castro's Government put an unprecedented 28 journalists behind bars in March, and they are serving lengthy prison terms of up to 27 years. Independent journalists in Vietnam who criticised the ruling Communist Party in print or on the Internet were harassed, placed under surveillance, or thrown into jail. The CPJ also placed Afghanistan, Chechnya, the West Bank and Gaza, Eritrea, Togo, Colombia, and Belarus on the list of worst places to be a journalist. ``Many journalists who report from these places have made the ultimate sacrifice; others are in jail serving long sentences,'' the CPJ acting director, Joel Simon, said. "But their colleagues persevere, confronting government crackdowns, physical violence, harsh press laws, and indiscriminate gunfire to bring us the news.''
The U.S.-led war in Iraq has exacted a heavy toll on those covering the conflict. Besides the nine journalists killed in action and four others who died in accidents or from illness, several were wounded, and two remain missing. Those not in the line of fire encountered other hardships: U.S. or Iraqi forces temporarily detained more than 24 journalists. While the bulk of the fighting appears finished, safety conditions for journalists remain precarious: Banditry, gunfire and physical attacks make Iraq a dangerous assignment.
Sweeping crackdown
In March, Cuban authorities launched a sweeping crackdown on dissidents, including the island's fledgling independent press. In all, 28 journalists were arrested, convicted during one-day summary trials, sentenced to between 14 and 27years in prison. The crackdown is the culmination of years of repression and intimidation, including jailing, forced exile, confiscation of property, suspension of phone service, and harassment by pro-Government mobs. Authorities in Vietnam have intensified their repression on independent writers and political dissidents. Those who publish news or opinions that contradict the Communist Party line are harassed, placed under heavy surveillance, or jailed. Eight journalists are currently languishing in Vietnam's prisons or are under house arrest. In Aghanistan, the unchecked power of local warlords and weak rule of law make the country inhospitable for the press. Despite the new freedoms enjoyed by the media after the ouster of the repressive Taliban regime, journalists say it is impossible to write and speak freely because of threats, physical intimidation, and assault. These abuses are often committed by politicians and military commanders who use Government security forces to harass independent journalists. Journalists in Chechnya endure physical violence, threats, and the everyday brutalities of war. In the last decade, 18 journalists have been killed there for their work. Those who dare to go there find themselves caught in the middle of a propaganda war between the Kremlin and Chechen rebels. In West Bank and the Gaza Strip, indiscriminate gunfire from the Israeli army makes the area a treacherous beat. Three journalists have been killed in Israeli gunfire there in the last 12 months, including the cameraman, Nazeh Darwazeh, who was shot in the head at close range by an Israeli soldier in April. . Militant Jewish settlers perpetrate violent attacks against journalists, and Palestinian security forces and militias have physically assaulted, threatened, and confiscated materials from journalists.
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