EGYPT 3RD WORST JAILOR OF MEDIA WORKERS GLOBALLY

Sat 11 December 2021:

The number of journalists currently behind bars in Egypt stands at 25, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPI) revealed in a report documenting violations against journalists worldwide.

For the seventh year in a row, Egypt made the top three in the special report from CPJ, with only China and Myanmar ranking higher with 50 and 26 journalists behind bars in each country, respectively.

While Egypt retains its position as the third worst jailer of journalists worldwide, other countries on the list, such as Saudi Arabia, have shifted positions in the CPJ’s ranking. After releasing 10 prisoners, Saudi Arabia is currently holding 14 journalists, which means that it no longer ranks among the five biggest offenders.

The report divulged that the number of detained journalists reached a global high in 2021, noting that 293 reporters were imprisoned worldwide until 1 December.

The report noted that despite a lower count of journalists in detention in Saudi Arabia, this does not signify progress in the freedom of the press.

“Authoritarian leaders are increasingly finding more sophisticated ways to block independent reporters and outlets – notably internet shutdowns and increased surveillance through high-tech spyware – than keeping them behind bars,” the report detailed.

The report cited the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a team of Saudi agents in 2018, noting that this likely acted as a deterrent to silence journalists more effectively than any fresh wave of arrests.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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