Number of jailed reporters climbs to new high in 2021: CPJ

AM:09:41:09/12/2021

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SULAIMANI – The number of jailed reporters worldwide reached a new high at 293 behind bars in 2021, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) prison census published on Thursday (December 9).

The figure for 2020 was 280. At least 24 journalists were killed for their work this year, the report recorded, and 18 died under suspicious circumstances.

China ranks top for the third year in a row for the most reporters jailed at 50 behind bars, the CPJ report said. Myanmar comes in second and Egypt, Vietnam and Belarus are in the top five.

Turkey improved its rights record for reporters after 20 jailed journalists were released on parole. The country now ranks sixth in the number of imprisoned reporters with 18 behind bars.

The CPJ said Turkey "effectively eradicated the country’s mainstream media” following the coup attempt in 2016.

(NRT Digital Media)