Turkey No Longer Has The Most Jailed Journalists In The World

Jailed Journalists In Turkey Freed

Deputy editor, HuffPost Media

People try to protect themselves as riot and paramilitary police officers fire tear gas and use water cannons to disperse protesters outside the Silivri jail complex in Silivri, Turkey, Monday, Aug. 5, 2013. Some 275 people - including military officers, politicians and journalists - are facing verdicts in a landmark and divisive trial in Turkey over an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the government. The court has acquitted 21 people accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamist-rooted government in the five-year "Ergenekon" trial and sentenced of up to 47 years or life terms in jails some of the other 254 defendants.(AP Photo)

There is some good news for press freedom in Turkey.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported Thursday that Turkish courts freed eight journalists from prison over the course of two days. The organization noted,

Read our alert: Turkey is no longer the world's leading jailer of journalists, with 8 released recently. http://t.co/I5GHg2WAEx
— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) March 28, 2014

Turkey has been the leading jailer of journalists for the past two years, according to the CPJ's records. There were 40 journalists in prison there in 2013. Iran came in second, with 35.

The news was not all good, however. The charges against the freed journalists remain, and CPJ called on the Turkish government to drop the charges and free the rest of the jailed journalists in the country. The journalists are still set to be tried in criminal court, while five others remain in prison in relation to the case dealt with on Wednesday.

The release of the eight journalists came after Turkey abolished the Turkish Courts of Special Authority. Visit CPJ for the full report.

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