[JURIST] The Committee to Protect Journalists [advocacy website] has deplored media repression in over 50 countries in its latest annual report [text]. Highlighting unprecedented violence against reporters in the Middle East, it also condemned legal sanctions such as imprisonment and censorship, particularly decrying the crackdown on independent media in Iran [JURIST report] and criticizing Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's failure to introduce legislation protecting journalists in that country, including decriminalizing press offenses.

Last month, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) [advocacy website] issued a similarly critical report [text, PDF; JURIST report] on press freedom and treatment of media worldwide, noting that the number of targeted assassinations of journalists is also on the rise. AP has more.