Hundreds of Journalists Arrested Worldwide, Most in China, Israel and Myanmar

(Patria) - Journalists around the world are increasingly at risk of arrest, with the highest number of detainees in China, Israel and Myanmar, according to new data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Globally, as of December 1 last year, 361 journalists were detained for their work. However, CPJ notes that these figures are only a small representation of the actual number of arrests in the past 12 months.

- A larger number of journalists are, in one way or another, processed through judicial systems during the year, and this is done intentionally. The increasing criminalization of journalists is a deliberate tactic by governments to silence them - says for Voice of America CPJ Executive Director Jodie Ginsberg.

A large number of journalists are also detained in Belarus, Russia, Vietnam and Eritrea. In Israel, that figure has more than doubled, leading CPJ to say it amounts to censorship.

- This includes killing and detaining journalists, communication disruptions, attacks on media facilities, and withdrawal of state funding from Israeli newspapers such as Haaretz - Ginsberg points out.

Israel did not respond to a request for comment, but has previously rejected allegations of targeting journalists.

China still has the highest number of arrested journalists - more than 50. Among them is pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai, who is on trial in Hong Kong.



He faces national security charges that are believed to be politically motivated.

Lai's international legal team says the case against their client shows how laws are used against journalists.

- We now often see authorities, instead of traditional legal weapons such as defamation or anti-terrorism laws, trying to use other laws to discredit journalists - says human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher.

In an email to Voice of America, China justified its record in the area of media freedom protection, while Hong Kong has repeatedly rejected allegations that the case against Lai is politically motivated.

In Russia, American journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich were released from prison. That country ranks fifth in the world by number of imprisoned journalists - 30.

Among detained journalists worldwide are also journalists and correspondents of Voice of America and its sister networks. They are imprisoned in Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, Vietnam and Azerbaijan.