The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released a concerning report stating that around 320 journalists were imprisoned worldwide by the end of 2023 due to their professional work. This figure is the second-highest since CPJ started its annual census in 1992. The slight decrease from the 367 jailed in 2022 is attributed mainly to the release of several journalists in Iran, either on bail or as they await sentencing.
Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of CPJ, expressed alarm over this trend, pointing out how deeply authoritarianism is entrenched globally. The imprisonment of journalists represents a concerted effort by governments to suppress critical reporting and hinder public accountability.
The CPJ’s census as of December 1, 2023, revealed that over a third of these imprisonments occurred in China, Myanmar, and Belarus. Additionally, Israel, tied with Iran for sixth place, reached its highest ranking ever on the CPJ list. All 17 journalists detained in Israel were Palestinians arrested in the West Bank since the onset of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
Russia holds 12 of the 17 nonlocal journalists imprisoned globally. This group includes two US citizens: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, both in pretrial detention.
This report underscores the ongoing challenges faced by journalists worldwide and the critical need to uphold press freedom. It also highlights the precarious situation of reporters in conflict zones and authoritarian regimes, where journalism is increasingly seen as a threat to governmental control.
