Azerbaijan is among the 10 countries with the highest number of imprisoned journalists

The number of imprisoned journalists in the world reached a record high, according to a report by the International Committee to Protect Journalists. This figure peaked in 1990. The worst jailer was Turkey.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide reached on December 1, 2012 232 people, exceeding the 2011 figure by 53.

Authorities of each jailer country widely used laws on anti-state activities to stifle dissenting political views, including those expressed by ethnic minorities. The most common charges against journalists in 2012 were charges of anti-state activities, terrorism, treason and subversion.

Such cases are most common in Turkey, Iran and China.

Eritrea and Syria also are among the worst countries in the world on this indicator. Around the world, 63 journalists are held in jail without public charges.

The group of 10 countries – the worst jailers of journalists encloses Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, and Saudi Arabia. In two states of this group - Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan - the government used charges of drug possession and disorderly conduct to arrest critical journalists and editors.

In Turkey - the main jailer of journalists – there are 49 media workers behind bars. The reason for the arrests was the coverage of the Kurdish organizations, as well as investigating sensitive issues on the activities of the ruling party.

In Iran, behind bars there are 45 journalists, the arrests of which began after the controversial 2009 presidential election.

In China, most of the 32 bloggers and journalists were convicted of anti-state activities. 19 of them are Tibetans and Uighurs, covering the ethnic conflict in Xinjiang in 2008.

The Azerbaijani authorities, seventh of the worst jailers of the press, firmly pursue dissidents during two major international events held in Baku - Eurovision-2012 and the global Internet Governance Forum. The authorities imprisoned at least 9 critical journalists on various charges. CPJ believes that the charges of drug possession and extortion were fabricated to punish journalists for their professional activities.

The list of 10 countries is enclosed by Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. -02D-