11. 12. 2012

Record number of journalists arrested worldwide

New Yor, December 11, 2012 (Beta) - A record number of journalists has been imprisoned around the world this year - as many as 232, which is 53 more than 2011.

This was announced by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Turkey leads with the number of journalists put behind bars - 49, followed by Iran with 45 and China with 32.

The Committee points out that this is the biggest number of journalists arrested since in 1990, when it began to conduct its research. The figure of 232 imprisoned journalists was valid on December 1.

"We live in an age where the charges of anti-state activities and qualifications of 'terrorism' have become a privileged means for government harassment, arrest and detention of journalists," said the Committee. It also pointed out the violations of international law, as well as prevention of the right to assembly, transmission and receiving of independent information.

A Turkish TV editor Mehmet Ali Birand says the government of his country "makes no distinction between the right to freedom of expression and terrorism".

Among the countries with the largest number of detained journalists are also Eritrea (28), Syria (15), Vietnam (14), Azerbaijan (9), Ethiopia (6), Saudi Arabia (4) and Uzbekistan (4).