Group: 127 Journalists Jailed Worldwide

Annual Survey Shows 24 Countries, Including U.S., Holding Journalists Behind Bars

(AP)  At least 127 journalists worldwide are behind bars, and one in six has never been publicly charged with a crime, according to an annual survey by a press freedom group.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said its yearly census found the number of jailed journalists has dropped by only seven from the previous year. There was an increase in the proportion of journalists held without any charge.

"Imprisoning journalists on the basis of assertions alone should not be confused with a legal process. This is nothing less than state-sponsored abduction," said the committee's executive director, Joel Simon.

"While we believe every one of these 127 journalists should be released, we are especially concerned for those detained without charge because they're often held in abysmal conditions, cut off from their lawyers and their families," he said.

Journalists are being held by 24 countries, most in places notorious for their intolerance of the press.

Twenty-nine were being held in China, including many accused of publishing pamphlets criticizing the government. Other frequent jailers of journalists include Cuba, Eritrea, Iran and Azerbaijan, according to the advocacy group.

But the group also cited two journalists who have been held without charges by the United States: Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, who has been held by U.S. forces in Iraq for nearly 20 months, and Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj, who has been jailed for five years at the military prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Hussein, who was part of a team of AP photographers who shared a Pulitzer Prize in 2005, was seized by U.S. forces in Iraq in 2006.

The military has declined to provide details of the accusations against him but has said he had links to insurgent groups in Iraq. The Pentagon recently said it intends to submit evidence against Hussein to the Iraqi judiciary system on Dec. 9.

AP executives said they have seen no evidence that Hussein was anything other than a working journalist.

Al-Haj, who is from Sudan, was detained by military forces in Pakistan in 2002 as he tried to enter Afghanistan to cover the war there. He was turned over to the U.S. military, which classified him as an enemy combatant and accused him of transporting money in the 1990s for a charity that provided funding to Chechen rebels.

Pentagon spokesmen have said in recent interviews with the AP that al-Haj's detention had nothing to do with his status as a journalist or the content of his reporting.

Last year's survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists found that 134 were jailed worldwide, nine more than a year earlier.

[nicholasma]

the new al-Qaida? now other laws will set them free so they can have there own intel network.

[jowand]

Anyone who confuses the American Gov''''t for America, raise your hand.

Regards,
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 05:16 AM : Dec 06, 2007

Your naivete is underwhelming Nancy, doesn''t it occur to you that these two may Al Quaeda operatives. Being a journalist isn''t a free pass to do anything you want.

[Ed0719]

I guess being held captive by our government is a bit better than what usually happens. The typical response is to have our military execute the journalists that don''t "hold the party line" with BushCo.

[greatdrivew]

President Bush %u201CMULLS SUSPENDING 2008 ELECTIONS%u201D

(Speetbaawl, TX) 12/06/07 8:54AM EST In a surprising announcement Thursday morning, President George W. Bush, flanked by Vice President *** Cheney, Attorney General Michael Makasey and U.S. Army General David Petraeus, announced, %u201CWe%u2019re at war people, and in war times, the President has powers, war powers, and as Attorney General Makasey will soon confirm, one of them war powers is me suspend elections.%u201D

President Bush added %u201CI%u2019m ordering the reupdeployment of 400,000 National Guard troops, hereafter to be referred to as the Constitutional Guard, to be deployed to multivarious hot spots throughout Blue States.%u201D Holding-up a photo of Pervez Musharraf, President Bush stated %u201CPakistan is model for the new domestic home front.%u201D He added, %u201CWhat do spect us to do? Republicans need time to find new candidates %u2026 my God, have you seen these people, they make Brownie look good.%u201D

[antoniof123]

Fair news reporting? LMAO

Posted by TheGateway1 at 01:45 AM : Dec 06, 2007

You ever heard of due process of the law. You should hope you never get arrested and ship out without a lawyer or access to the courts.

Why is it that people who have so little to say always talk the longest.

[hillaryin08]

"God I hope George strikes Iran soon so I dont have too. I dont think I can put up with these kooks from our party" "I know we need their votes but geeze oh petes"

[samsel3]

Nothing has changed on Iran. The administrations interest in Iran & nukes is a smoke screen for their real agenda. Their true interests are Cheney''s energy policy.Condi rice is a former board member of chevron oil and mouthpiece for the administrations energy policy. Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipeline which will go through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan,India & Nepal.It will be cheaper to construct if they can go through part of Iran, but regime change is necessary first. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world''s oil and south asian oil markets are their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney''s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghasnistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline. Iran stands in the way of total control of global oil with direct sales of oil to china and is now in the crosshairs. China said there would be dire consequences if the US interfered with there direct oil contracts with Iran. Both parties in the Congress should be very concerned with China''s growing war machine and need for oil. They are the real threat & the administration doesn''t care they are in control!!! All that matters to them is BIG OIL and their corporate stock portfolios

[l8c6]

Never in an often unjust world and an often unjust nation will justice befall many of these circumstances. The great equalizer is each individuals mortality and while many claim a belief of some sort the bottom line is, no one really knows what consequences come to those who practice deceit, torture, legalized or other forms of unethical conduct against other members of humanity.

[l8c6]

"God I hope George strikes Iran soon so I dont have too. I dont think I can put up with these kooks from our party" "I know we need their votes but geeze oh petes"

Posted by hillaryin08

What is your point?

[hillaryin08]

The problem for the Democrats on this is that they invested themselves in defeat. The reasons we went into Iraq or Afghanistan dont even matter amymore. The candidates distance themselves from the war issue more and more every day. By next November, Illegal Imigration, Taxes and the Economy will be what is on voters minds. Not the war against Islamic Fascism.

Taking sides with the enemy is never a good thing especially when you share the same enemy as your enemy.

[adra_]

If your assumptions, beliefs, and conspiracy theories are correct, why are you upset with your country''s attempt to strengthen your future. Do you really think that the assessment of others potential hasn''t been addressed?