BERLIN, December 18 (RAPSI) – The number of journalists abducted around the world more than doubled this year, reads the 2013 Press Freedom Annual Round-up published by Reporters Without Borders.

According to the document, 71 journalists and 39 citizen-journalists and bloggers were killed in 2013, down from 88 and 47 the year before. However, 2012 was an “exceptionally deadly” year, so there are no reasons to believe that the situation has improved.

Astrid Frohloff, the spokesperson for Reporters Without Borders in Berlin, said, commenting on the report, that journalists’ work around the world had not become safer.

The report says the number of journalists kidnapped increased from 38 in 2012 to 87 in 2013 and the number of journalists threatened or physically attacked went up 9% to 2,160.

Syria, Somalia, India, the Philippines and Pakistan were the world’s five deadliest countries for the media. The largest number of journalists and citizen-journalists killed this year – 10 and 35 – was reported in Syria.

At this moment, at least 178 journalists are in prison in connection with their work, the report says. As in 2012, China, Eritrea, Turkey, Iran and Syria continue to be world’s five leading jailers of journalists.