Nigeria, May 2 -- The United Nations has raised alarm over the escalating assault on journalists worldwide, insisting that such attacks must cease immediately.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, made the call in a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day.

According to UN data, about 330 journalists are currently behind bars globally, alongside nearly 500 citizen reporters and human rights bloggers.

The global body also decried the growing misuse of laws on defamation, disinformation, cybercrime, and terrorism, noting that such legislation is increasingly weaponised to shield powerful interests. It added that expensive lawsuits are often deployed to intimidate and silence members of the press.

Turk stress...