Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenia ranks 63rd in the World Press Freedom Index, an annual report by the Reporters Without Borders.

The index assesses freedom of the press in 180 countries.

Armenia features among the “problematic” countries this year, having dropped 2 ranks as compared to the previous year’s report.

Other “problematic” countries are Georgia (60th place), Poland (64th), Japan (67th), and Israel (86th) among others.

12% of the countries are in the “notorious” group, including Azerbaijan, which ranks 167th.

The report says that “the government that emerged from Armenia’s “velvet revolution” in the spring of 2018 has failed to reduce the media’s polarization.”

“There is concern about the volume of judicial proceedings against journalists and about excesses in the fight against fake news. The involvement of the security services in combatting disinformation and attempts to legislate without prior discussion with civil society and journalists are alarming,” the report reads. However, the Reporters Without Borders add, “investigative journalism is flourishing online and is well placed to play a major role in a national offensive against corruption.”