BERLIN, December 16. /TASS/. A total of 66 journalists have been killed while on duty across the world this year, a report released on Tuesday by the Paris-based press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), says.

Syria, where 15 journalists have been murdered, remains the most dangerous country to work for the second year in a row. Seven reporters died when covering events during the Middle East conflict, while six others were killed in Ukraine and another four in Iraq, and also four in Libya.

The deaths this year are 7% fewer than in 2013, when 71 journalists were killed.

Meanwhile, the number of those kidnapped due to journalist activities has been on the rise. A total of 119 reporters have been abducted this year around the world, with most cases reported in Ukraine (33), followed by Libya (29), Syria (27) and Iraq (20).

This figure is a 37% increase, year-on-year. Last year, a total of 87 journalists were abducted.

The report says 178 journalists have been sentenced in 2014 due to their professional activities. A total of 29 reporters are serving jail terms in China, 28 - in Eritrea, 19 - in Iran, 16 - in Egypt and 13 - in Syria.

The report notes that although the fatalities among journalists have decreased, some violent actions against them, including the recent releases of videos showing the beheading scenes, have taken different shapes.