‘Turkey Still World’s Worst Jailer of Journalists’

Click to read the article in Turkish

Releasing its annual report on December 13, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has announced that 251 or more journalists are currently behind bars around the world. The most frequently cited reasons for the imprisonment of journalists are "terrorism" and "false news".

Stating that "China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia imprisoned more journalists than last year", the Committee has emphasized that "Turkey remained the world's worst jailer." According to the figures shared by the CPJ, at least 68 journalists have been behind bars in Turkey.

The report, which has shared information regarding the number of journalists behind bars as of December 1, 2018, does not include the journalists who were detained, arrested and released in the course of the year.

Turkey as "the world's worst jailer" for 3 years

The report has made the following remarks on Turkey:

"In its annual global survey, the CPJ found at least 251 journalists in jail in relation to their work, as Turkey--still the world's worst jailer of journalists--released a small number.

"The past three years have recorded the highest number of jailed journalists since CPJ began keeping track, with consecutive records set in 2016 and 2017. Turkey, China, and Egypt were responsible for more than half of those jailed around the world for the third year in a row.

"CPJ found at least 68 journalists jailed for their work in Turkey, which is slightly lower than previous years.

"Dozens more jailed and released in 2018"

"In the course of the year, dozens more have been jailed or released, as prosecutors continue to seek arrest warrants and apply new charges, and courts ordered some journalists released pending trial and acquitted others."

The report has also emphasized that "for the third consecutive year, every journalist imprisoned in Turkey is facing anti-state charges."

In the annual report of the Committee in 2016, it was announced that 81 journalists in total were behind bars in Turkey while the number which was announced by the CPJ in 2017 was 73.

According to the BİA Media Monitoring Report of bianet, 123 journalists entered October 2018 in jail. (HK/SD)