FOTP 2013 Full Report

was lifted in January 2012. Distribution of pro-Hamas newspapers Al-Risala and Filistin in theWest Bank remained banned.There are approximately 45 privately owned television stations, and the PA funds theofficial Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), which is under the direct control of Abbas.The PA has closed down Al-Aqsa TV offices in the West Bank towns of Ramallah, Jenin, andTulkarm. PBC transmissions have been blocked in Gaza since the Hamas takeover in 2007,while the Voice of the People radio station, run by the Popular Front for the Liberation ofPalestine, is generally allowed to operate but occasionally blocked. The Israeli military hasutilized coercive tactics to restrict broadcasting by stations deemed to be advocating terrorism oraffiliated with Hamas. Foreign broadcasts are generally available.About 58 percent of the population in the Palestinian territories accessed the internet in2012, according to Internet World Stats, and its use is generally not subject to restriction.YemenStatus: Not FreeLegal Environment: 25Political Environment: 31Economic Environment: 23Total Score: 79Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 78,NF 79,NF 80,NF 83,NF 83,NFWhile the 33-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh ended in February 2012, many of therepressive actions against journalists that were perpetrated under his regime continuedthroughout the year. Journalists and media workers faced attacks, intimidation, and harassmentby government security forces, tribal groups, and loyalists of the outgoing president. Lawscircumscribing press freedoms and special courts designed to prosecute journalists remained inplace under the new president, Abdu Rabu Mansur Hadi. However, Yemen took a step towardgreater media freedom in April, when the parliament approved a freedom of information law.The constitution allows for freedom of expression “within the limits of the law,” and therelevant laws are restrictive. The Press and Publications Law of 1990 requires journalists touphold “national unity” and adhere to the “goals of the Yemeni revolution.” Article 103 banscriticism of the head of state and defamation of “the image of Yemeni, Arab, or Islamicheritage.” Article 104 prescribes fines and up to one year in prison for violations. Calls to repealproblematic portions of the 1990 law have so far been ignored by the new government.A new draft Press and Publications Law and a repressive draft Audiovisual andElectronic Media Law remained pending in the parliament in 2012. The former would expandthe prohibition on insults to the president to include leaders of allied states, among otherrestrictions. The latter would subject electronic media and online news sources to the sameconstraints as in the Press and Publications Law. It would also impose prohibitive licensing feeson private broadcasters and internet media outlets.Two specialized courts, established in direct contravention of the constitution, areregularly employed to prosecute journalists. The Specialized Criminal Court, established in 1999412