Morocco is the best‑ranked country in the Maghreb for press freedom and currently has no journalists behind bars, according to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
In its annual ranking released in April, RSF improved Morocco’s ranking from 105th out of 180 countries, ahead of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, where journalists remain imprisoned for their work, the organization said.
RSF noted that, at the time of publication of its index, it did not record any journalists in prison in Morocco, in contrast to neighboring Tunisia and Algeria, where reporters have been jailed as authorities use the judiciary to silence independent reporters.
Tunisia has seen several journalists sentenced to prison terms since 2024, while Algeria continues to detain media workers over reporting deemed sensitive by the authorities, RSF said.
Libya, meanwhile, remains one of the most dangerous environments for journalists due to ongoing instability and the presence of armed groups.
RSF said Morocco’s absence of imprisoned journalists and comparatively lower level of physical repression places it ahead of its regional neighbors, in a Maghreb where press freedom has sharply deteriorated in recent years.
Globally, RSF warned that press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, with more than half of the world’s countries now classified as having “difficult” or “very serious” conditions for journalism.
