At least 65 journalists were killed in 2007, nine more than the previous year, as violence in Iraq and Somalia continued to put reporters in danger, a press freedom watchdog said here Monday.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said only one year, 1994, had seen a higher death toll.
The report also singled out China, Russia, the Philippines and Cuba as the worst offenders in recent years in limiting press freedom and failing to counter danger to journalists.
“Journalists were killed in usually high numbers in 2007, wit of the group’s annual report, Attacks on the Press, in Hong Kong.
“Driving the numbers was devastating violence in Iraq and Somalia. In Iraq, for the second consecutive year, 32 journalists were killed in the line of duty.
“Iraq was the deadliest country in the world for the press for the fifth straight year.
Seven journalists died in Somalia. In 85 per cent of these cases, no one is ever held accountable for journalist murders.”
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