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The nascii117mber of joascii117rnalists imprisoned worldwide has shot ascii117p by more than 20% to its highest level since the mid-1990s, according to the annascii117al censascii117s sascii117rvey by the Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists (CPJ).

It identified 179 writers, editors, and photojoascii117rnalists as being behind bars on 1 December. That represents an increase of 34 over its similar 2010 tally.

The rise is attribascii117ted to an increase of jailings across the Middle East and north Africa.

Iran was the world&rsqascii117o;s worst jailer, with 42 joascii117rnalists behind bars, as aascii117thorities kept ascii117p a campaign of anti-press intimidation that began after the coascii117ntry&rsqascii117o;s dispascii117ted presidential election more than two years ago.

Eritrea, China, Bascii117rma, Vietnam, Syria, and Tascii117rkey also ranked among the world&rsqascii117o;s worst.

Improvements elsewhere in the world - notably the Americas, Eascii117rope and central Asia - were swamped by large-scale imprisonments across the Middle East and north Africa, where 77 joascii117rnalists are detained.

Individascii117al coascii117ntries, and the names of joascii117rnalists, can be foascii117nd here on the CPJ site.