It's a dark new year for journalists around the world.

According to the annual report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released on Tuesday, December 15, 274 journalists have been jailed and 26 people working for media have been killed in the past year.

The country imprisoning the most journalists is China for the second year in a row, according to CPJ, with 47 of them behind bars.

Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, as well as Belarus and Ethiopia, are also among the most repressive countries against media professionals.

The conclusions of this report join those of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which notes in its annual report published on Monday that the number of journalists arbitrarily imprisoned in the world remains "historically high" in 2020, with nearly 400 people behind bars for to have done their job to inform.

"Covid effect" on press freedom, increase in the number of imprisoned women journalists ... France 24 returns with Pauline Adès-Mevel, spokesperson for RSF, on the highlights of the year 2020.

France 24: According to RSF's latest annual report, 387 journalists are imprisoned for exercising their news profession at the end of 2020, while they were 389 in 2019. We have the impression that the years go by and look the same ...

Pauline Adès-Mevel:

With 387 journalists imprisoned in 2020, there is an increase of 12% compared to 2015 when there were 328 journalists imprisoned.

This is a sign that the situation is getting worse.

This year, we have seen a record number of arbitrary arrests in connection with the coverage of the health crisis, in particular because the media conveyed a discourse that did not suit the authorities or because they criticized the management of the pandemic.

How to interpret this 35% increase in the number of women imprisoned for practicing their profession as journalists? 

In general, more and more women are in the profession.

This increase must also be interpreted in the light of current events.

For example, in Belarus, four women journalists were imprisoned on December 1.

It is a crisis that is covered a lot by female journalists.

Like their male colleagues, they are not immune to the fierce repression in Belarus. 

Journalists are held there in terrible conditions.

We have many testimonies of beatings, barings, humiliations, deprivation of care and food.

Since August 9 and the start of this vast protest movement [against the re-election of Alexandre Loukachenk], we have counted 370 journalists arrested.

Eight are still behind bars.

RSF set up "Observatory 19" on March 31, 2020, a tool for monitoring attacks on press freedom during a pandemic.

What does the data you have been able to collect reveal? 

We very quickly felt the need to document a new type of abuse.

As of November 30, we observed 300 incidents linked to the health crisis: violence, threats, legal pressure, media suspensions, vandalized editorial staff, etc. 

In addition, the number of arrests and arbitrary arrests has quadrupled between March 2020 and May 2020 compared to the same period the previous year.

All continents have been affected to varying degrees by this wave of repression. 

>> To read on France24.com: Covid-19: the pandemic, "a pretext to restrict the democratic rights" of citizens

Asia, the continent where the coronavirus appeared, concentrates a majority of press freedom violations.

In China, seven journalists are still jailed in connection with the coverage of the health crisis.

In Africa, a continent largely spared from the health crisis, press freedom has also been put to the test ...

In sub-Saharan Africa, there were three times more arrests of journalists between March 15, 2020 and May 15, 2020 compared to 2019. Very often the authorities have justified these arrests by violations of the confinement rules. 

In total, we have noted 109 press freedom violations since the start of the health crisis on the continent and we are probably well below reality. 

Out of 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 29 are affected by at least one violation of the freedom to inform in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, led by Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

Should we be worried about the year 2021?

After the health crisis, could the economic crisis further weaken freedom of expression?

Absolutely.

The crisis is rearing its head and has even already started to affect the media, which find themselves in difficulty in producing content.

Even if this is not a direct restriction on press freedom, it must be deplored.

It was also noted that during the crisis, some countries could take advantage of a general state of dizziness and astonishment linked to the shutdown of the planet during the first confinement to pass measures.

For example, in Hungary, the Orban government passed a law that could lead to the imprisonment of journalists for disseminating "false information".

We fear that in 2021, thanks to an economic crisis, other states may attempt to pass measures against press freedom.

The situation is unprecedented and we must remain extremely vigilant.  

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