THOUSANDS of journalists have fled their home countries in recent years to escape political repression, save their lives and avoid armed conflict, but in exile they are often vulnerable to physical, digital and legal threats, the United Nations general assembly has heard.

Delivering a report in New York on Wednesday, investigator Irene Khan said that the number of exiled journalists has increased as the space for independent and critical media has been “shrinking in democratic countries where authoritarian trends are gaining ground.”

But Ms Khan, a Bangladeshi lawyer who previously served as secretary-general of Amnesty International, said that exiled journalists often find themselves facing threats from their home countries without assured legal status or adequate support to continue working in their country of refuge.

“Many journalists eventually abandon their profession,” she said. “Exile thus becomes yet another way to silence critical voices — another form of press censorship.”

Mr Khan said there were international legal protections for journalists in exile, but he problem is “the failure of states to respect their obligations under international law.”

Meanwhile, a Tunisian court has sentenced two television and radio journalists to one year in prison for criticising the government on their programmes and on social media.

Borhane Bsais and Mourad Zeghidi were each given six months’ imprisonment on Wednesday for disseminating “fake news” and an additional six months for “making false statements with the aim of defaming others,” in reference to Tunisian President Kais Saied, court spokesperson Mohamed Zitouna said.

The pair, who were arrested just two weeks ago, are among a broader group of journalists, activists and lawyers charged under Decree 54, a widely criticised law criminalising the dissemination of “fake news” aimed at harming public safety or national defence.

Both defendants denied the allegations and said they were simply doing their jobs.