Report of CPJ: Turkey and Azerbaijan are again among the worst media jailers in world
According to the results of the research of the CPJ, the second consecutive year, Turkey remains the world’s leading jailer of journalists, leaving behind Iran and China, an article on the organization’s website reports.
Turkey, Iran, and China accounted for more than half of all journalists imprisoned around the world in 2013, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. In its annual census, CPJ identified 211 journalists jailed for their work, the second worst year on record after 2012, when 232 journalists were behind bars.
According to CPJ there are still 40 journalists in Turkish jails. The list of top 10 worst jailers of journalists was rounded out by Azerbaijan, Eritrea, Vietnam, Syria, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Uzbekistan.
The organization believes that journalists should not be imprisoned for doing their jobs. The organization has sent letters expressing its serious concerns to each country that has imprisoned a journalist. In the past year, CPJ advocacy led to the early release of at least 39 imprisoned journalists worldwide.
Last year Turkey and Azerbaijan were in list of top 10 worst jailers of journalists.
According to the data of the CPJ the Azerbaijani authorities claim that there are nine media workers held in prisons on trumped-up charges, including disorderly conduct, possession of drugs and extortion, which, according to the organization, is the vengeance of the authorities for the professional activities conducted by the journalists.