According to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the number of imprisoned journalists in 2011 was the most since 1996. As of December 1, there were 179 writers, editors, reporters and photographers behind bars, a 34 percent jump from last year.

While jailing declined in the Americas and in Europe, that figure was squashed by the Middle Eastern and North African regions, which accounted for almost 50 percent of the yearly total. Iran put 45 journalists behind bars alone, making it the worst region in the world for imprisonments.

Other trends:

• 78 freelance journalists were jailed, which was the biggest year-to-year jump in the survey in ten years
• For the first time in over a decade, China didn’t lead or co-lead the list
• A majority of jailed journalists were local, being detained by their own governments

For more, check out the full report here.