This January 25, Pope Francis asserted that the freedom of journalists increases the freedom of all. “His freedom is freedom for each of us,” the Supreme Pontiff wrote on his social networks.
Pope Francis advocated for the release of detained journalists around the world. The request was made through his account on X, formerly Twitter, this Saturday, January 25.
“In this jubilee of the world of communication, I ask that all journalists unjustly imprisoned be released,” wrote the Supreme Pontiff. He added that “the freedom of journalists increases the freedom of everyone. His freedom is freedom for each of us.
A total of 361 press workers were imprisoned at the end of 2024, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), this Thursday, January 16.
China, Israel, and Burma, with 50, 43, and 35 journalists detained respectively, “emerged as the world’s three worst offenders in another record year for journalists imprisoned because of their work,” says CPJ.
Asia remained the region with the highest number of imprisoned journalists, with Vietnam (16), Afghanistan (2), Bangladesh (4), India (3) and the Philippines (1) joining the world-leading numbers of China and Burma.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, Venezuela heads the list, with three journalists detained at the end of last year, reported AFP. Nicaragua, Cuba and Guatemala, with one each, make up this sinister list.
Venezuelan NGOs have reported that, since the elections of July 28, 2024 until January 12 of this year, 221 politicians, 23 journalists and six human rights activists have been detained.
Journalists are not imprisoned in Haiti, but at least nine have been murdered since 2022, mostly at the hands of criminal gangs. And according to CPJ’s 2024 Global Impunity Index, Haiti is the first country where murderers of journalists are most likely to go unpunished.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content is being published taking into consideration the threats and limits that have consequently been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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