The Georgian government’s ruthless authoritarian tactics led to the arrest of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli in January, according to a report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

“The situation in countries such as Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus reflects the serious threats facing press freedom in the former Soviet bloc,” the report states.

According to the report, 25 journalists are currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Russia ranks second in the world for the number of detained journalists, and as of December 1, 2025, 26 of the 48 media professionals behind bars are Ukrainian.

The document also notes that in the past year, 67 journalists were killed in 22 countries, at least 53 of whom were victims of war or criminal networks.

“Nearly half (43%) of the journalists slain in the past 12 months were killed in Gaza by Israeli armed forces. In Ukraine, the Russian army continues to target foreign and Ukrainian reporters. Sudan has also emerged as an exceptionally deadly war zone for news professionals. In Mexico, organised crime groups are responsible for the alarming spike in journalist murders seen in 2025. This year has been the deadliest of the past three years - at least - and Mexico is the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with nine killed. The trend has spread as Latin America has become more “Mexicanised,” accounting for 24% of the world’s murdered journalists,” the report states.

The report also says that 503 journalists are currently detained worldwide.

“China remains the world’s largest prison for journalists (121). Russia is in second place (48), with the highest number of foreign journalists imprisoned compared to other countries (26 Ukrainian journalists). Myanmar ranks third with 47,” the document notes.