For the fifth year in a row, 330 journalists worldwide are being held in prison.
According to the annual report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), this increase is linked to the strengthening of authoritarian regimes, the expansion of conflict zones, and the rise of political censorship.
Many of the imprisoned journalists have been detained for long periods without seeing a court, while some have been sentenced to more than five years in prison. Half of them have not yet been brought before a court.
CPJ emphasizes that approximately one third of imprisoned journalists have been subjected to violence and inhuman treatment, with 20 percent of these cases involving allegations of torture and beatings.
Among the countries that imprison the most journalists are China, Myanmar, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories. In Europe and Central Asia, 96 journalists are imprisoned. Among these countries, Russia leads with 27 journalists, Belarus with 25, and Azerbaijan with 24 journalists. In Azerbaijan, the number of imprisoned journalists was 13 in 2024.
CPJ reports that Azerbaijan has entered the list of countries imprisoning the most journalists for the first time since 2018. The organization stresses that efforts to silence independent media have intensified through laws restricting foreign donor funding in the country.
Recently arrested journalists and a number of public and political activists have been charged with smuggling, tax evasion, and other offenses, but many of them state that they are being punished specifically for their professional activities and for exposing corruption within the government. Although official Baku claims there are no politically motivated persecutions, local and international human rights groups, the European Parliament, and PACE (the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) are calling for the release of political prisoners.
Most imprisoned journalists are held in brutal and life-threatening conditions. Some journalists have been deprived of medical care, food, and other basic necessities. As a result, their health has deteriorated severely, and in some cases deaths have been recorded.
In 2025, 116 journalists were released. CPJ provided international legal and medical assistance to defend imprisoned journalists. Thirty-six journalists received help while in detention—five times more than in 2021. After their release, 29 journalists received psychological, medical, and legal support.
