Committee to Protect Journalists Capitol Hill Press Conference

Some notable extracts from Joel Simon, CPJ Executive Director, speaking at Capitol Hill at a conference on press security, marking Press Freedom Day. Simon spoke about the number of journalists being killed in conflicts across the world, and why this trend is getting worse:

"In terms of imprisonment, the numbers are also alarming. The number of journalists in prison around the world skyrocketed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, jumping from 81 to 137, as repressive countries around the world launched opportunistic crackdowns often appropriating the language of the war on terror to justify these repressive measures. While the world's leading jailer of journalists are China, Cuba, and Eritrea, it is important to note the United States has appeared on CPJ's annual lost of imprisoned journalists every year since 2001. At least a dozen journalists were held in U.S. military custody in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for extended periods of time without due process. One is still being held by the U.S. military in Iraq - a freelance photographer for Reuters named Ibrahim Jassam."

Find details of Ibrahim Jassam's arrest here. An Iraqi court ruled in December that there was no evidence against him.

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