Global Jailing of Journalists Near Record High in 2024, Says CPJ

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama) -- A total of 361 journalists were imprisoned worldwide as of December 1, 2024, according to the latest annual report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The report represents a global snapshot of those jailed for their work and marks the second-highest number recorded since CPJ began tracking press detentions in 1992.

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(The CPJ is an independent nonprofit that defends press freedom worldwide.)

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The spike in imprisonments was driven by ongoing authoritarian crackdowns, conflict, and political instability, with China (50), Israel (43), and Myanmar (35) topping the list of the worst jailers of journalists. Rounding up the top 10 were Belarus (31), Russia (30), Egypt (17), Eritrea (16), Iran (16), Vietnam (16) and Azerbaijan (13).

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“These numbers should be a wake-up call for us all,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg in the report. “A rise in attacks on journalists almost always precedes a rise in attacks on other freedoms - the freedom to give and receive information, the freedom to assemble and move freely, the freedom to protest.” 

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Asia accounted for the highest regional total, with 111 journalists jailed - more than 30 percent of the global figure.

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In the Middle East and North Africa, Israel was responsible for nearly half of the region’s 108 jailed journalists. CPJ highlighted growing international concern over the arbitrary detention of Palestinian journalists, calling for accountability and redress.

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According to CPJ, the detention of Palestinian journalists is “symptomatic of Israel’s broader effort to prevent coverage of its actions in Gaza.” This includes prohibiting foreign journalists from entering the territory. The Israeli government also banned Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera from operating in Israel and the occupied West Bank, using a wartime law that allows it to shut down foreign media outlets deemed a threat to national security.

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The report also highlights the use of vague anti-state charges - such as terrorism or extremism - as legal tools to silence dissent. Charges of incitement, defamation, and false news are also regularly used. Over 60 percent of the journalists imprisoned globally in 2024 faced such accusations, with those from marginalised communities often targeted.

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Despite falling numbers in countries like Türkiye, the CPJ warned that legal harassment, censorship, and intimidation remain serious threats to independent media across Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

-- BERNAMA

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