It has been revealed that as many as 260 journalists are currently in detention worldwide.
According to reports published by the the press freedom arbiter, Committee to
Protect Journalists, on this year’s database of journalists
Imprisoned worldwide, indicators are showing a rise in cases of journalists jailed on
account of their work.
The report released on Wednesday said the number of journalists imprisoned for their work hit a “historical high” for the second year in a row.
“As of December 1, 2017, CPJ found 262 journalists behind bars
around the world in relation to their work, an increase on last year’s
historical high of 259,” the statement noted.
The world’s worst jailers of journalists, according to the report,
are the trio of Turkey, China and Egypt – carrying on the baton from
last year.
“Turkey is again the worst jailer, with 73 journalists
imprisoned for their work as the country continues its press freedom
crackdown. China and Egypt again take the second and third spot, with 41
and 20 cases respectively. The worst three jailers are responsible for
jailing 134–or 51 percent–of the total.”
CPJ decried that the U.S. and other Western powers have failed to pressure the three countries to improve “the bleak climate for press freedom”.
“In a just society, no journalist should ever be imprisoned for
their work and reporting critically, but 262 are paying that price,” said CPJ Executive Director, Joel Simon.
“It is shameful that for the second year in a row, a record
number of journalists are behind bars. Countries that jail journalists
for what they publish are violating international law and must be held
accountable. The fact that repressive governments are not paying a price
for throwing journalists in jail represents a failure of the
international community.”
According to CPJ’s census 194 journalists, or 74 per cent, are
imprisoned on anti-state charges, many under broad or vague terror laws.
In Turkey, every journalist on the census is either accused of or
charged with anti-state crimes. Although many journalists cover multiple
beats, politics was the most dangerous, covered by 87 percent of those
jailed. Nearly all the jailed journalists are local and the percentage
of freelancers is higher this year, accounting for 29 per cent of cases.
Other leading jailers of journalists in 2017 are Eritrea, with 15 cases, and Azerbaijan and Vietnam, with 10 cases each.
“The international community has done little to isolate
repressive countries and U.S. President Donald Trump’s nationalistic
rhetoric and insistence on labeling critical media “fake news” serves to
reinforce the framework of accusations and legal charges that allow
such leaders to preside over the jailing of journalists.
“CPJ’s 2017 census found the number of journalists jailed for “false news” doubled this year, to 21 cases,” the report added.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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