Egypt, Eritrea top list of African states with most jailed journalists — CPJ report

Egypt, Eritrea top list of African states with most jailed journalists — CPJ report

At least 67 journalists have been jailed across Africa for their work, reflecting the continent’s ongoing struggle for a free press, according to a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
According to the CPJ’s report on jailed journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa, this record number of journalists languishing in jail highlights the growing challenges they face in many African countries, amid a disturbing trend of diminishing press freedom and the erosion of basic rights such as freedom of expression and the right to information across the continent. “Governments are increasingly using national security, counterterrorism, and cybercrime laws to target and detain journalists,” said Mutoki Mumo, CPJ’s Africa Program coordinator, referring to a worrisome trend of increasing governmental crackdowns that threaten press freedom.
Mumo cited several countries, including Burundi, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, where an increasing number of journalists are facing charges under laws officially intended to protect national security, which are, however, weaponized to criminalize journalistic work. In Nigeria, four journalists are currently imprisoned under cybercrime laws after reporting on government corruption. Egypt is another country cited in the CPJ report as being notoriously known for using anti-government laws to target the media, imprisoning dozens of journalists. Similarly, Eritrea and Ethiopia, both of which have long maintained a repressive stance against the press, currently hold 16 and 6 journalists, respectively, behind bars.

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