550 journalists will spend Christmas in prison

In 2024, 573 journalists spent time behind bars, and 550 will still be imprisoned at the end of the year, according to our data.

Sadly, these numbers have increased compared to last year, showing that the need to protect journalists around the globe is more important than ever.

China, Myanmar and Israel are the world’s biggest prisons for journalists. These countries have become lawless zones, where record numbers of journalists are detained, missing or held hostage.

Every day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s teams work tirelessly to obtain their immediate release. No journalist should be imprisoned simply for doing their job.

And you are an indispensable par of the fight to defend journalists, and to uphold every human being’s right to reliable information.

These statistics are more than cold numbers — they represent real human suffering and political consequences.

Our thoughts are particularly with Jimmy Lai, a 77-year-old journalist from Hong Kong who, at the time of this writing, may die in prison due to trumped-up charges against him.

We’re also dismayed by the relentless legal persecution of Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan for her coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak.

What’s more, last month the Guatemalan journalist José Ruben Zamora was sent back to prison after being granted house arrest. At 68 years old, he has already spent 800 days in prison — in despicable conditions.

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