A growing number of journalists are being imprisoned around the world for publishing their work on the Internet, with one in three cases made up of individuals whose work appeared primarily on the web or by e-mail, a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has found.
According to CPJ, 49 out of the 134 journalists imprisoned worldwide as of 1 December 2006 are Internet-based, the highest number of jailed Internet journalists the organisation has recorded since it began tracking this sector in 1997.
"We're at a crucial juncture in the fight for press freedom because authoritarian states have made the Internet a major front in their effort to control information, says CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "China is challenging the notion that the Internet is impossible to control or censor, and if it succeeds there will be far-ranging implications, not only for the medium but for press freedom all over the world."
China is the leading jailer of Internet journalists. Nineteen are currently in prison, including CPJ International Press Freedom Award Winner Shi Tao, who is serving a 10-year sentence for sending an email that showed propaganda department instructions on how to cover the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Although a growing number of Internet journalists are being jailed, CPJ notes that the largest number of imprisoned journalists continue to be made up of those who work for newspapers, magazines and other print publications. The organisation recorded 67 such cases in 2006.
For the eighth consecutive year, China led all countries with 31 imprisoned journalists. Cuba ranked second, with 24 reporters, writers, and editors behind bars. Eritrea is the leader among African countries, with 23 journalists in prison. These prisoners are being held incommunicado, and there are disturbing reports that three may have died in detention.
Other leading jailers of journalists include Ethiopia, Burma and Uzbekistan.
SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists
Read CPJ's report here.
Visit these links for more information:
Blogger Handbook
Citizen Lab
Internet Filtering Map
Irrepressible Campaign
How China Controls the Internet
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