WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush Thursday denounced governments which muzzle the media and imprison journalists, pointing out China as "the world's top jailer for journalists," followed by Cuba.
"Just and open societies protect and rely on the freedom of the press," Bush said in a statement marking World Press Freedom Day, which falls on Saturday.
"Brutal regimes and others who seek to stifle liberty often do so by closing down private newspapers and radio and television stations. They kidnap, arbitrarily jail, and beat journalists," he said.
"The United States condemns the harassment, physical intimidation, persecution, and other abuse that journalists, including bloggers and Internet reporters, have faced in China, Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, Venezuela, and Vietnam, as well as the unsolved murders of journalists in Belarus, Lebanon, and Russia."
Bush cited Belarus, Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe for repressive anti-free speech laws and for often imprisoning media workers.
"In 2007, for the ninth consecutive year, China remained the world's top jailer of journalists, followed by Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, and Azerbaijan," he said.
Bush also cited Belarus, Lebanon, and Russia for records of unsolved murders of journalists.
"We call on all governments to guarantee the inalienable rights of their people, including, consistent with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to freedom of speech and the press," he said.
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