Globally, CPJ documented 330 journalists behind bars on the census date of December 1, 2025. For the fifth year in a row, more than 300 journalists have remained imprisoned around the world.
Read CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus: cpj.org?p=553128
#JournalismIsNotACrime #PressFreedom
CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus found China, Myanmar + Israel are the world’s top jailers of journalists in connection to their work. At least 330 journalists were behind bars globally on Dec. 1, 2025, reflecting growing authoritarianism and escalating numbers of armed conflicts worldwide. cpj.org?p=553128
The Americas region has the least number of journalists behind bars, according to CPJ’s 2025 Prison Census, obscuring a trend of political persecution for journalists reporting on corruption throughout the region. Read CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus: cpj.org?p=553128
#JournalismIsNotACrime #PressFreedom
Forty-two journalists in Africa were jailed for their work as of December 1, 2025. Eritrea has held 16 journalists imprisoned for at least two decades, with their legal status, health, and whereabouts all unknown.
Read CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus: cpj.org?p=553128
#JournalismIsNotACrime #PressFreedom
Russia ranks 4th on CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus with 28 imprisoned journalists following an uptick of arrests in retaliation for coverage of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Belarus, ranking 5th, continues its crackdown on the press with 25 journalists in prison. cpj.org?p=553128
For the third consecutive year, China maintained its status as the world’s worst jailer of journalists in CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus. China held 50 journalists behind bars on December 1, 2025, including seven in Hong Kong. cpj.org?p=553128
#JournalismIsNotACrime #PressFreedom
Globally, CPJ documented 330 journalists behind bars on the census date of December 1, 2025. For the fifth year in a row, more than 300 journalists have remained imprisoned around the world.
Read CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus: cpj.org?p=553128
#JournalismIsNotACrime #PressFreedom
CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus found China, Myanmar + Israel are the world’s top jailers of journalists in connection to their work. At least 330 journalists were behind bars globally on Dec. 1, 2025, reflecting growing authoritarianism and escalating numbers of armed conflicts worldwide. cpj.org?p=553128
For the fifth consecutive year, more than 300 journalists were behind bars at year-end, according to CPJ's #2025PrisonCensus. China, Myanmar, and Israel were the leading jailers of journalists on the census date of December 1, 2025, followed by Russia and Belarus.
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cpj.org?p=554905
CPJ documented a total of 330 journalists behind bars globally in connection with their work on December 1, 2025. Five journalists who were released in recent years spoke with CPJ about the horror they experienced behind bars.
Learn more in CPJ’s #2025PrisonCensus: cpj.org?p=553128
