Underscoring a global assault on press freedom, more than 300 journalists were imprisoned worldwide at the end of 2025 for the fift consecutive year, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The figure marks the third-highest total since CPJ began tracking journalist imprisonments in 1992 and comes just below the record 384 journalists jailed at the end of 2024.
At the same time, the data points to a concentration of media repression in a handful of countries. On the census date of December 1, 2025, China, Myanmar and Israel emerged as the world’s leading jailers of journalists. They were followed by Russia and Belarus, countries where conflict and authoritarian governance have increasingly narrowed space for independent media.
According to CPJ Chief Executive Officer Jodie Ginsberg, persecuting journalists is a means of silencing them and carries profound consequences for both individuals and society.
“Autocracies and democracies alike are locking up journalists to quash dissent and stifle independent reporting,” she said, adding that “every journalist jailed is a blow to the public’s right to know.”
CPJ’s findings also highlight alarming detention conditions. The organisation documented hundreds of cases in which journalists, their lawyers or their families reported mistreatment in prison. Notably, nearly one-third of imprisoned journalists reported mistreatment in custody, while 20 percent alleged torture or physical abuse. Historically, CPJ analysis shows that since 1992, the highest incidence of torture and beatings has been documented in Iran, followed by Israel and Egypt, reflecting entrenched patterns of abuse in detention systems.
According to the report, freed journalists and others who felt safe enough to come forward described horrific ordeals during detention. These included permanent injuries from torture and beatings, mock executions, sexual and psychological abuse, and the denial of food and medical care.
The report cited the case of Ayash, a Palestinian broadcast reporter, who was arrested twice in 2025 by Israel. According to her account, military dogs were used to attack her during her arrest. Later, she was tied to a leaking water pipe that soaked her throughout the night. She described West Jerusalem’s Al-Moskobiya prison as a “horror movie.”
China retained its position for the third straight year as the world’s worst jailer of journalists, with 50 reporters behind bars, including seven in Hong Kong. Among them were CPJ International Press Freedom Award recipients Jimmy Lai and Dong Yuyu, whose cases have drawn international attention amid Beijing’s tightening grip on media and civil liberties.
More broadly, the findings reflect a growing reliance on national security laws. Throughout 2025, CPJ found that 61 percent of jailed journalists were charged under anti-state or national security provisions laws often criticized by rights groups for their vague wording and misuse against the press.
Myanmar rose to become the second-worst jailer in 2025, up from third place a year earlier. Since the military coup in 2021, the country’s media landscape has steadily deteriorated, with journalists routinely targeted for covering protests, armed resistance and alleged abuses by the junta.
Similarly, Israel moved to third place from second in 2024, with 29 Palestinian journalists imprisoned as of December 1, despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges. According to CPJ, most were held in arbitrary detention without due process or a clear legal basis, an approach the organization said restricts the public’s right to information during conflict.
Regionally, Asia continued to account for the largest share of imprisoned journalists, with 110 cases, about one-third of the global total. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam detained at least 16 journalists amid intensifying repression. In South Asia, Bangladesh held four journalists, while India had two. In the Philippines, Frenchie Mae Cumpio remained the only jailed journalist, having spent nearly six years in detention without a conviction.
In Europe and Central Asia, 96 journalists were imprisoned, with Russia leading the region at 27 cases. Notably, two out of every five jailed journalists in Russia were Ukrainian, following a spike in arrests linked to coverage of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Middle East and North Africa recorded 76 jailed journalists. Alongside Israel’s detention of Palestinian reporters, Egypt continued its crackdown, holding 18 journalists in what CPJ described as retaliatory arrests targeting critical coverage.
In Africa, 42 journalists were detained as of December 1, 2025, reflecting persistent political instability and media repression in parts of the continent. By contrast, the Americas recorded six jailed journalists, though CPJ warned the relatively low number masked a broader pattern of political persecution, particularly against reporters investigating corruption.
CPJ data also showed that most imprisoned journalists were covering politics, a beat increasingly treated as a threat by authorities. Alarmingly, 26 percent of those counted in 2025 had been held for five years or more without sentencing, in violation of international legal standards guaranteeing timely and fair trials.
“In many countries, there is little to no recourse for a wrongfully jailed journalist,” the report said. “Although some groups are working to create an international mechanism for exoneration, the lack of accountability makes it easier for authorities to jail journalists under shaky pretexts, and to mistreat them while they are imprisoned.”
Despite the grim findings, CPJ noted limited signs of progress. In 2025, 116 journalists were released from prison worldwide, often following international pressure or legal appeals.
The Committee to Protect Journalists is a New York–based independent, non-profit organization that monitors press freedom violations and advocates for the safety and rights of journalists globally.
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