1.2. The right to freedom of expression is practised and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their rights without fear. ANALYSIS: In general, the assertion of freedoms – whether of expression or of the press – is not perceptible at a level that could be considered satisfactory, even though today there is much more openness than at the time of the war. Citizens still have to put up with limits that result from laws such as those on state security, state secrets and others that limit these very freedoms, whether of ordinary citizens or of journalists. There are issues that even though they are public cannot be touched or spoken about, lest they infringe on the areas above. These restrictions on press freedom and freedom of speech are more accentuated in places further away from the main urban centres. Furthermore, state officials persecute citizens and journalists when they publish or express themselves in articles or other material in which the state or the officials are deemed to have been offended. Time and time again, journalists see themselves embroiled in legal battles over conflicting rights of the press or freedom of speech and alleged attempts against the security of the state or state secrets. SCORES: Individual scores: 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 Average score: 1.9 1.3 There are no laws restricting freedom of expression such as excessive official secret or libel acts, or laws that unreasonably interfere with the responsibilities of media. ANALYSIS: There are laws that interfere with freedom of speech and the responsibilities of the media, such as the Law on National Security and the Law on State Secrets, which establish a degree of limitation to the practice of the right of free expression. Examples of such restrictions: 2