At least two journalists died after contracting the disease in custody, the report said. "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. The report found that two-thirds of journalists in jail were charged with anti-state crimes such as terrorism or membership of banned groups, while no charges were disclosed in nearly 20% of cases.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 15, 2020 06:11 UTC