1.6 Public information is easily accessible, guaranteed by law to all citizens, including journalists. Analysis: Law no. 98-012 of 19 January 1998 regulating the relations between the administration and users of public services makes available information except documents whose consultation may be subject to the secrecy of government deliberations, national defence secrecy or foreign policy, state security and public security, secrecy of private life, medical files or, generally, information protected by law cannot be communicated and information bearing the following remark: top secret defence, secret defence, confidential defence, confidential, .... Individual marks: 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-4-5 Average: 4.9 1.7 Civil society, in general, and media pressure groups actively defend the cause of media freedom. Analysis: Rarely, Malian journalists go to prison despite the slides they are accused of, and they are not always brought to justice. Even if this is the case, either the plaintiffs withdraw their case or the journalist is lightly sanctioned by the court. Lawyers generally defend the interests of the accused. This is in general the result of media pressure on other socio-professional layers and, each time a journalist is taken to court, victim of aggression or another act, other colleagues manifest adamant solidarity. In their plight they are supported by civil society associations, in particular, the Malian Association for the Defence of Human Rights (Amdh), the Observation of Rights of Children and Women (Odef), and mobilized. Individual marks: 4-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-4 Average: 4.8 Total average of Sector 1: 4.0 30