On March 9, the Freedom House human rights organization announced the "Freedom in the World-2023" annual report.

The report notes that global freedoms had steadily declined for the 17th year. According to the information, last year, 16 of the 57 countries considered unfree in the world had the lowest score for political rights and civil liberties. "During the last 17 years, the number of countries and territories that scored 0 out of 4 points according to the media freedom indicator of the report increased from 14 to 33. At the same time, in 2022, at least 157 countries and territories were at the same level of indicators with media freedom under pressure. Scores on a related indicator of freedom of personal expression have also suffered over the years amid increased privacy intrusions, harassment and intimidation, and incentives for self-censorship both online and offline," the document noted.

In the report, Azerbaijan has 9 points and, thus, is among the countries with the worst overall scores for political rights and civil liberties. Freedom House reported that parliaments in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan had imposed additional restrictions on media outlets and journalists, and new legislation requires foreign online platforms to register as local legal entities. 

The report also noted that democratization had not taken place in some countries. "Most of the states that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union is dominated by 'strongmen' who have transformed post-Soviet ties into kleptocratic networks, enriching their members and impoverishing ordinary citizens. These corrupt authoritarian regimes have also fueled instability and threatened democracies across the region. In addition to the war against Azerbaijan, other recent conflicts include border clashes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and increasing incursions of Azerbaijani forces into Armenia," the report stated.

Moreover, the Freedom House gave Armenia a "partly free nation" rating. Armenia earned 54 out of 100 points, moving it onto the list of "partly free nations." According to the report, Armenia is only behind its northern neighbor Georgia, who scored 58 points.