The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) launched its 2020 report with the title, “Number of journalists jailed worldwide hits record amid unrest, pandemic.” The report stated the number of journalists in jail due to their professional activities worldwide by December 1, 2020 is 274 and this is the highest number ever since CPJ started collecting data at the beginning of the 1990s. CPJ suggests the reason for that is the governments’ hostile attitude against news on COVID-19 and their attempts to prevent reporting news on political turmoil.
According to the report, Turkey is ranked second worldwide in the number of journalists imprisoned due to their professional activities. CPJ identified 37 journalists in Turkish prisons this year and stated that all journalists in prisons are charged with crimes against the government.
16.12.2020
bianet.org