Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, authoritarian leaders tried to control reporting by arresting journalists. "It's shocking and appalling that we are seeing a record number of journalists imprisoned in the midst of a global pandemic," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said in a statement. Globally, 34 journalists were jailed for "false news" in 2020, compared with 31 last year, it said. "The record number of journalists imprisoned around the world is President Trump's press freedom legacy," Simon said. Countries where the number of jailed journalists rose significantly include Belarus, where the re-election of its long time president sparked mass protests, and Ethiopia, where political unrest has led to armed conflict.

Source: bd News24 December 15, 2020 04:52 UTC