The Committee to Protect Journalists submitted a call to several U.N. special mandate holders yesterday encouraging them to join CPJ’s effort to secure the release of all jailed journalists globally in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The submission, which reiterates the messages of CPJ’s ongoing #FreeThePress campaign and petition, calls on special mandate holders to demand that countries holding journalists in detention release them immediately and unconditionally. According to CPJ’s most recent prison census, at least 250 journalists are behind bars for their work. The worst jailers included China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt—all of which have suffered COVID-19 outbreaks.
The submission can be read here. To sign the petition, click here.