RWB: Saudi Arabia is among the first 5 countries in the world to detain journalists

Reporters Without Borders revealed that the five countries with the highest number of journalists imprisoned as of December 1 are China (127), Burma (53), Vietnam (43), Belarus (32), and Saudi Arabia (31).

In its annual report, the organization counted 488 media workers currently imprisoned in the world in a record number and listed the killing of 46 journalists in 2021, the lowest death toll in 20 years.

The press rights organization said that "the number of imprisoned journalists has never been so high since the establishment of Reporters Without Borders' annual report in 1995."

The organization stated that it had never recorded a "number of female journalists imprisoned" this high, as their number reached 60, i.e. a third more than in 2020.

While men represent most of the number of journalists imprisoned in the world at 87.7%, Belarus is the country that has more female journalists imprisoned than men, 17 female, and 15 male.

The number of journalists and media workers killed in 2021 is the lowest in 20 years with 46 dead, according to the organization.

The organization also counted the taking of at least 65 journalists and media collaborators hostage in the world, two more than last year.