More than 300 journalists jailed worldwide for fifth straight year: CPJ
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At least 330 journalists were imprisoned worldwide for their work in December 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year the number has crossed 300, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The total is the third-highest recorded since the New York-based press freedom watchdog began its census in 1992 and is just below the all-time high of 384 journalists jailed at the end of 2024.
China held the largest number of imprisoned journalists, with 50 behind bars as of December 1.
It was followed by Myanmar with 30 and Israel, which detained 29 Palestinian journalists.
Russia ranked next with 27 jailed journalists, including five Ukrainians, while Belarus held 25 and Azerbaijan 24, the report said.
“These record-setting numbers reflect growing authoritarianism and escalating numbers of armed conflicts worldwide,” the CPJ said.
The organisation noted that nearly half of the jailed journalists had not been convicted of any crime. Among those who were convicted, more than a third were serving prison sentences longer than five years.
The report also highlighted widespread abuse in detention. Nearly one-third of imprisoned journalists reported mistreatment, with 20 percent alleging torture or beatings.
Since 1992, Iran has recorded the highest incidence of such abuse, followed by Israel and Egypt.
Asia remained the region with the highest number of jailed journalists in 2025, accounting for 110 cases. Beyond China and Myanmar, Vietnam held at least 16 journalists, Bangladesh four, India three, and the Philippines one.
The CPJ also noted that the United States detained Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara in June after he covered a protest against President Donald Trump, though he was deported before the December 1 census due to his immigration status.