CPJ names and shames countries who jail journalists

December 14, 2005

The non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists has published its 2005 list of countries that have jailed journalists. Top of the list is China, claimed to be holding 32 of the 125 editors, writers, and photo-journalists detained during the year. This is the seventh consecutive year that China has been top of the CPJ list.

Following not so far behind China is Cuba, accused of detaining 24 journalists. In third and fourth place are the African nations of Eritrea (15 journalists detained) and Ethiopia (13 journalists detained).

Analysis of the detailed breakdown in the CPJ report reveals that they rank the United States alongside the Junta of Myanmar (Formerly known as Burma) in sixth place on the list with five detained journalists each. According to CPJ, they have excluded journalists only briefly detained such as New York Times reporter Judith Miller, instead focusing on those who are detained longer term.

The majority of charges and accusations that have been levelled against journalists are related to "anti-state" activities such as revealing state secrets, and acting against the interests of the state. The report does not include journalists who have not officially been confirmed as detained by a state.