Journalism students have "adopted" three overseas journalists who have been victimised because of their work.

Following a public meeting at the University of Lincoln, teams of students from the School of Journalism have agreed to provide them with support and encouragement.

The main speaker was Umit Ozturk, chair of Amnesty International's Journalists Network.

He has been a leading investigative journalist since 1986 and was subjected to torture on several occasions - and even survived assassination attempts during his journalism career in Turkey during the 1990s.

He was accompanied by Judith Vidal-Hall, editor of 'Index on Censorship', a journal campaigning for freedom of expression worldwide.

Sumi Khan, Paul Kamara and Hafnaoui Ghoul have all been threatened or imprisoned for doing their job.

Professor of journalism Richard Keeble said: "I think it's important for journalism students to develop a global awareness and be aware of the bravery of many journalists who risk jail, torture and sometimes even death as they expose corruption.

"Adopting these journalists is one way of translating this awareness into constructive action."

Sumi Khan received telephone threats and was then critically wounded in the Nandan Kanon area of Chittagong, Bangladesh, last year, following articles about the alleged involvement of local politicians and religious groups in attacks on members of minority communities

Investigative journalist Paul was imprisoned in Sierra Leone for allegedly libelling the president.

Hafnaoui, from Algeria, was sentenced to eight months in prison for criticising local officials for "mismanagement and corruption" in print. He went on hunger strike in jail last August in protest at his arrest and what he calls "judicial harassment".