A newly released report titled 2025 Journalist Jailings Remain Stubbornly High by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) shows that threats to press freedom persist around the world. As of December 1, 2025, more than 330 journalists were imprisoned in connection with their work — marking the fifth consecutive year that global journalist imprisonment has remained above 300.
The report highlights that many journalists behind bars are held under cruel and life-threatening conditions, with over one-third serving sentences longer than five years and nearly half detained without ever being formally sentenced — a situation that often violates international legal standards.
According to CPJ’s census, China led the world with 50 journalists jailed, followed by Myanmar with 30 and Israel with 29. Other countries — including Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan — also figure among the highest jailers of journalists globally.
Alarmingly, the report notes that about one in five imprisoned journalists reported torture or beatings — a clear indication of the severe human rights risks journalists face simply for doing their jobs.
Turkey in the Global Context
While the CPJ global prison census does not break down country rankings for every nation, independent data and press freedom organizations indicate that around 17 journalists and media workers remain imprisoned in Turkey as of 2025. This places Turkey among the countries with notable numbers of detained media professionals.
Many of these journalists were detained, prosecuted, or convicted in relation to their reporting, especially on protests, governance issues, and politically sensitive subjects. Rights groups warn that such imprisonment not only affects individual journalists but also undermines public access to information and democratic accountability.
