Record 70 Journalists Killed in 2009

Number jailed increases as well, with Iran and China leading pack
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 17, 2010 8:31 AM CST
Record 70 Journalists Killed in 2009
Relatives and friends look at closed coffins of massacred journalists in General Santos City, Philippines, Nov. 28, 2009.   (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A record number of journalists were killed last year, and even more were arrested or imprisoned, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. In a report released today, the group names 70 journalists killed specifically for their reporting, a number exacerbated by the massacre of 29 journalists in a single incident in the Philippines, the worst media massacre ever recorded.

Of the 70, nine died in Somalia, four in Iraq, four in Pakistan and three in Russia. The AP notes another 24 journalists were killed in cases where the motive couldn’t be confirmed. The number jailed increased as well, with a total of 136 reporters imprisoned. China and Iran were the worst perpetrators, currently holding at least 24 and 23 writers, respectively; Iran arrested a whopping 90 over the course of the year amidst its post-election crackdown. (More Iran stories.)

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