New York: More journalists have been jailed this year by governments around the world than at any time in nearly three decades, primarily because of the crackdown in Turkey after a failed coup in July, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

At least 81 journalists were imprisoned in Turkey as of December 1, all facing anti-state charges, said the nonprofit group that works to defend press freedoms.

"In Turkey, media freedom was already under siege in early 2016, with authorities arresting, harassing, and expelling journalists and shutting down or taking over news outlets," said the group's report on its annual census of imprisoned journalists.