"Reporters without borders": The number of journalists killed has increased by 33%

In 2012, 88 journalists were killed, which is 33% more than the previous year, 879 more journalists were arrested, 1,993 were threatened or physically attacked, 38 journalists were kidnapped, 73 reporters were forced to flee from their country and 6 technical media staff were killed. Also killed were 47 bloggers and 144 arrested.  The data was presented in the December 19 publication of the "barometer press", the annual report by "Reporters without borders".

The most dangerous regions are the Middle East and North Africa with 26 killed, in Asia, 24 killed, and Sub-Saharan Africa, 21 killed.  Most of those killed in 2012, were journalists who were covering wars or died at the hands of organized crime and Islamist militants, or by order of the corrupt officials.

The war in Syria, the chaos in Somalia and the Taliban violence in Pakistan are the main centers where reporters were killed. At the same time, the number of imprisoned journalists in the world fell by 16%, and the number of kidnapped fell by 46%. However, there was sharp increase in the number of bloggers killed from five to 47 (840%).  In the Western Hemisphere, the most dangerous countries for the media were in Mexico with six killed and Brazil, 5.

The world's biggest for imprisonened journalists, for the first time, is Turkey, where 193 reporters and bloggers are behind bars (including 42 members of the media).  Based on the repressive laws and jurisprudence authorities persecute and suppress freedom of expression and information.  China is in second place with 30 journalists and 69 bloggers in prison.  They are followed by Eritrea with 28 journalists in prison. Here, the situation is worsening due to the appalling conditions of detention and torture in underground cells. Therefore, seven journalists died or committed suicide, being forgotten or ignored by the outside world.  In Iran, 26 journalists and 17 bloggers are in jail, where the situation has continued to deteriorate since 2009.  In Syria, 21 journalists and 18 bloggers in prison are subjected to systematic torture.

In Cuba intensified persecution of dissidents, bloggers and journalists.

Peru ranks first in the number of physical attacks on reporters, about 100 per year.

In the CIS the leader is Belarus, where the number of imprisoned journalists and bloggers is 31. -02D-