Journalists under siege in Turkey

THE number of journalists detained worldwide rose this year – an increase related to Turkey where more than 100 journalists and media contributors are in jail, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said yesterday.

“A total of 348 journalists are currently detained worldwide – 6% more than were detained at this time last year,” RSF said in its annual report. The figure includes bloggers and freelance contributors.

“The number of detained professional journalists in Turkey has risen 22% after quadrupling in the wake of the failed coup d’etat in July,” it said.

The number of women journalists imprisoned more than quadrupled over the period (from five to 21). “This reflects in part the growing role of women in journalism but, above all, the disastrous situation in Turkey, which currently accounts for a third of the world’s detained women journalists,” RSF said.

“The persecution of journalists around the world is growing at a shocking rate,” RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire said.

“At the gateway to Europe, an all-out witch-hunt has jailed dozens of journalists and has turned Turkey into the world’s biggest prison for the media profession. In the space of a year, the Erdogan regime has crushed all media pluralism while the European Union has said virtually nothing.”

Aside from Turkey, between them China, Iran and Egypt account for more than two-thirds of journalists imprisoned, RSF said.

The number of journalists held hostage has however fallen this year, with 52, held around the world compared with 61 last year, although RSF said the number was particularly high. — AFP