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New York, May 5, 2020 – In recognition of World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated every year on May 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today that 11,337 supporters from at least 105 countries, along With 191 partner organizations, they joined their global #FreeThePress campaign calling for the release of all imprisoned journalists. CPJ advanced the campaign in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which represents a serious threat to the health of incarcerated populations.
“The imprisonment of journalists is the hallmark of an authoritarian regime, but keeping them in jail in the midst of a pandemic is sheer cruelty,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Journalists should not be locked up, they should be out there reporting the news, informing the public and holding the authorities to account. The free flow of information and ideas is essential to fighting COVID-19, and journalists cannot do their job Behind bars “.
The campaign included an open letter to government leaders who jail journalists. Citizens from around the world signed CPJ’s petition. Previously jailed journalists shared video messages of solidarity.
At least four journalists, in Ethiopia and Iran, have been released due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CPJ also called on the UN and the European External Action Service to press for the release of imprisoned journalists. The campaign culminated in a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, calling for urgent action on behalf of all who are still behind bars.
CPJ’s coronavirus response page includes news coverage of journalists arrested, assaulted, or censored for their work on the virus, as well as question-and-answer interviews with front-line reporters. CPJ Emergencies regularly updates its physical, digital and psychosocial safety tips, which are available in nearly 40 languages, and journalists and newsrooms can send questions to CPJ’s security experts.
