PARIS, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Last year was a bleak one for journalists, according to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders.
According to its annual report, published Wednesday, some 63 reporters were killed in 2005 -- 11 more than in 2004 -- along with five fixers.
As in the year before the majority of deaths - 24 in all for 2005 -- took place in turmoil-torn Iraq. So far, a total of 73 reporters and fixers have died since the U.S-led invasion of Iraq.
By contrast, 100 fewer journalists were detained in 2005 -- 807 in total -- compared to the previous year.
But threats against reporters increased, with 1,308 registered cases compared to the 1,146 in 2004, according to the journalist watchdog group.
Censorship of the press also increased 60 percent last year compared to the previous one. Nepal was a particularly worrying case, the group said.
In addition, some 126 journalists were imprisoned in 23 countries in 2005, according to Reporters Without Borders.
China led the list, with 32 reporters detained, followed by Cuba, with 24.
Fifteen countries, including Tunisia and Iran, were also skewered by the group as being "Internet enemies" for curbing freedom of expression on the Internet.
