Jailed journalists around the world

China is leagues ahead of its nearest suppressors, in terms of the
sheer number of journalists in its jails, with a tally of 113 under lock
and key this year – well over double Russia and Myanmar’s count

JOURNALISTS CURRENTLY IN PRISON, 2025
(disregards those who were in jail and then released this year)

China
Russia
Myanmar
Belarus
Vietnam
Azerbaijan
Iran
Egypt
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Eritrea
Tajikistan
Hong Kong
Afghanistan
Bahrain
Niger
Nigeria
Venezuela
Bangladesh
Ethiopia
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan
Tunisia

113
48
46
33
28
25
21
20
20
19
14
9
8
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
4
4

Others: Benin (3), Cameroon (3), India (3), Iraq (3), Laos (3), Turkey (3), Kazakhstan (2),
Rwanda (2), Sudan (2), Yemen (2), Algeria (1), Burundi (1), Cambodia (1), North
Korea (1), UAE (1), Georgia (1), Guatemala (1), Jordan (1), Kuwait (1), Libya (1),
Mali (1), Morocco/Western Sahara (1), Nicaragua (1), Philippines (1), Syria (1)

Data as of
Dec 10, 2025

Global
total in
prison:
500

Russia has
imprisoned
more foreign
journalists than
any other state,
26 Ukrainians

Source: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Picture: Hasan Almasi (Unsplash)
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