Large Number of Journalists Detained in China, Cuba and Eritrea

Large Number of Journalists Detained in China, Cuba and Eritrea
May 1, 2009

NEW YORK (dpa) - Half of the 125 journalists imprisoned in 2008 were in
China, Cuba and Eritrea, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
said Friday.

"I urge all governments that have detained journalists to ensure that
their rights are fully respected, including the right to appeal and
defend themselves against charges," Ban said on the occasion of World
Press Freedom Day, citing the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The Washington-based Freedom House said in its analysis of global press
freedom that Italy, Hong Kong and Israel had fallen into the category of
countries with a partly free press.

Freedom House said in its annual study that there had been a decline in
global press freedom in every region for the first time in 2008 and this
was not confined only to traditional authoritarian countries.

Ban said at UN headquarters in New York that some governments have
suppressed internet access and the work of internet-based journalists,
mostly bloggers.

Ban cited the CPJ annual report on press freedom, which said that
bloggers flourished in countries that impose strict control over the
media. CPJ also said that 45 per cent of jailed media writers were bloggers.

"I urge all governments to respect the right of these citizen
journalists, who may lack the legal resources or political connections
that might assist them in gaining their freedom," he said.

"The annual observance of World Press Freedom is also an opportunity to
reflect on the important role of the media in addressing global
problems," Ban said.

He pointed out that post-conflict societies struggling to rebuild need
the media to increase confidence between the government and the public.

"Governments that stifle or otherwise obstruct this work are acting
against their own best interests and that of their societies," Ban said.

Large Number of Journalists Detained in China, Cuba and Eritrea -
HispanicBusiness.com (2 May 2009)

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/politics/2009/5/1/large_number_of_journalists_detained_in.htm