MOSCOW: A group of leading press freedom advocates has warned the world leaders in an open letter that keeping media workers in jail amounted to a death penalty amid the coronavirus pandemic, that has claimed more than 36,900 lives across the globe.
The letter issued by the committee stated, ‘For journalists jailed in countries affected by the coronavirus, freedom is now a matter of life and death. Imprisoned journalists have no control over their surroundings, cannot choose to isolate, and are often denied necessary medical care,” it stated.
In this regard, the press freedom advocates had launched a social media campaign to free some 250 journalists, who according to them are being held behind bars in China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Eritrea, Vietnam and Iran in relation to their work.
The World Health Organization has stated that prisoners were particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus because of self-isolation in often gathered cells was impossible. Some countries began this month to free inmates temporarily to limit the spread of the virus.
Read more: COVID-19: Italy to extend lockdown at least until Easter
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