From China to Iran to Cuba, 136 journalists were jailed worldwide this year — a dozen more than last year. China comes in at the top for the 11th year running, with 24 people jailed this year, but was almost pipped by Iran’s 23 imprisoned journalists. In Africa, Eritrea’s relatively small size hasn’t kept it from imprisoning more journalists than the rest of the continent combined, a census by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reveals. Even the U.S. makes the list, holding a freelance photographer without charge in Iraq.
CPJ’s work has led to the release of 45 journalists this year. But their work must continue to be supported: since the December 1st report, a Liberian journalist and a printer were jailed for “maneuvering against the state,” a frighteningly broad term to which any oppositional activity can be applied. Freelancers increasingly find themselves imprisoned, a trend likely to grow as more journalists work independently on the internet. Already, web-based reporters constitute half of those jailed — they find themselves more exposed to abuses by a repressive government because they lack the financial or legal support contracted journalists enjoy, a Nazret article explains.
Many journalists have been jailed this year and subsequently released (like the Daily Show / Newsweek journalist jailed in Iran). And, of course, this number doesn’t reflect thhe threats, intimidation, violence, and laws being passed around the world continuing to make journalists’ jobs harder. Also this year, a record number of journalists have been killed. So it’s not just prison that they have to fear.