Truck and Barter

“The countries of the Middle East and North Africa received the lowest scores in this survey. Yemen saw a significant drop, owing chiefly to severe restrictions on press freedom. During the two years covered in the survey, Yemeni journalists faced numerous incidents, including "violence, death threats, arbitrary arrests, and convictions under weak laws governing the freedom of the press." In Jordan, freedom of association and assembly became even more restricted after Interior Minister Samir Habashneh demanded that professional associations completely halt all activities deemed political, and after the governor of Amman announced that "any kind of event, gathering or meeting, save for weddings, should obtain prior approval."

However, there were some signs of modest progress in the MENA region. Morocco has enjoyed gains since the last review, principally in the spheres of Accountability and Public Voice and Civil Liberties. In a significant development, the country's interior commission in the Chamber of Deputies approved new legislation to reform the process involved in the formation of political parties and the campaign finance law, including providing parties with an annual subsidy.”