2023 prison census: Jailed journalist numbers near record high; Israel imprisonments spike
By Arlene Getz/CPJ Editorial Director Worst Jailers | New Developments | Regional Repression | Census Methodology Israel emerged as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists following the October 7 start of the Israel-Gaza war, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2023 prison census has found. Israel ranked sixth – tied with Iran – behind…
Genet Asmamaw
Genet Asmamaw was arrested in April 2023 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. She was charged with terrorism in June, alongside 50 co-defendants, three of whom were journalists. Genet, who could face the death penalty if convicted, joined a hunger strike in May to protest what detainees described as political persecution. As of late 2023,…
Iryna Levchenko
Former journalist Iryna Levchenko was allegedly abducted by Russian forces in Ukraine in early May 2023 and has reportedly been held by Russia ever since. Levchenko worked for years as a reporter for several news outlets but left journalism after Russian forces occupied the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol in late February 2022, according to…
Duong Van Thai
Overview Vietnamese journalist Duong Van Thai was arrested on April 14, 2023, while allegedly trying to re-enter Vietnam in central Ha Tinh province. His family confirmed to CPJ via an intermediary in October that Thai is being held on anti-state charges. Thai, who posts political commentary on his Tin Tuc 24H YouTube channel and has about 119,000…
Genet Asmamaw
Genet Asmamaw was arrested in April 2023 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. She was charged with terrorism in June, alongside 50 co-defendants, three of whom were journalists. Genet, who could face the death penalty if convicted, joined a hunger strike in May to protest what detainees described as political persecution. As of late 2023,…
Viktoria Roshchina
Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina was allegedly abducted by Russian forces in Ukraine in early August 2023 and reportedly has been held by Russia ever since. Roshchina is a freelance reporter who has been covering the war in Ukraine for several Ukrainian media outlets, including Kyiv-based independent news website Ukrainska Pravda, regional news website Novosti Donbassa,…
Iryna Levchenko
Former journalist Iryna Levchenko was allegedly abducted by Russian forces in Ukraine in early May 2023 and has reportedly been held by Russia ever since. Levchenko worked for years as a reporter for several news outlets but left journalism after Russian forces occupied the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol in late February 2022, according to…
Duong Van Thai
Overview Vietnamese journalist Duong Van Thai was arrested on April 14, 2023, while allegedly trying to re-enter Vietnam in central Ha Tinh province. His family confirmed to CPJ via an intermediary in October that Thai is being held on anti-state charges. Thai, who posts political commentary on his Tin Tuc 24H YouTube channel and has about 119,000…
Year in review: The most-read press freedom stories of 2023
As we approach the end of a truly volatile year, CPJ has documented physical attacks, imprisonment, and legal harassment against the press accelerate relentlessly in frequency and severity, and we have seen more journalists than ever fleeing into exile. Journalists face increasingly hostile environments in conflict zones, as more journalists have been killed in the…