The figure shows an increase in the targeting of reporters investigating organized crime, corruption or environmental issues, the watchdog said. 84% of those killed in 2020 were "deliberately targeted" for their work, RSF said in its annual report, compared to 63% in 2019. Five journalists were killed in war-torn Afghanistan, it said, noting an increase in targeted attacks on media workers in recent months even as peace talks between the government and Taliban are ongoing. The total number of journalists killed in 2020 was lower than the 53 reported in 2019, although RSF said fewer journalists worked in the field in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It listed 387 jailed journalists, which it called "a historically high number".

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 29, 2020 05:37 UTC