Number of jailed journalists rising, group warns

More journalists around the world are being sent to prison as authoritarian regimes try to silence dissent, a New York-based group said on Thursday.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said a recent study showed that the number of jailed journalists had reached 251, marking the third straight year that the number had increased.

“The terrible global assault on journalists that has intensified in the past few years shows no sign of abating. It is unacceptable that 251 journalists are in jail around the world just for covering the news,” said Joel Simon, CPJ executive director.

Most dangerous beat

CPJ said that amid a global increase in antimedia rhetoric, it found 70 percent of jailed journalists were accused of “antistate charges” while 28 percent were charged with “false news.”

Politics remains the most dangerous beat for journalists, followed by human rights, according to the study.

The group also found that more journalists were sent to jail this year in countries like China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Turkey remained the “world’s worst jailer” of journalists, with at least 68 behind bars, it said.

The number of female journalists behind bars also increased, with 33 jailed globally, including four in Saudi Arabia who wrote about women’s rights.

In the Philippines, an impending arrest prompted Maria Ressa, chief executive officer of online news site Rappler, to post bail on Tuesday for four counts of tax evasion filed against her by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.