Around the world, 122 journalists were in prison at the end of 2004 for practicing their profession, 16 fewer than the year before. International advocacy campaigns, including those waged by the Committee to Protect Journalists, helped win the early release of a number of imprisoned journalists, notably six independent writers and reporters in Cuba.
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the prolonged detention of three people–Ahmed Didi, Fathimath Nisreen, and Mohamed Zaki–affiliated with the online publication Sandhaanu who were arrested in early 2002. A fourth person, Ibrahim Luthfee, was also arrested, but escaped in May 2003.
There were 138 journalists in prison around the world at the end of 2003 who were jailed for practicing their profession. The number is the same as last year. An analysis of the reasons behind this is contained in the introduction on page 10. At the beginning of 2004, CPJ sent letters of inquiry to…