Asia
Government actions against journalists in Asia
4 recorded incidents in 4 countries of Asia.
Countries
Tactics used
- Detention and violence: 3
- Expulsion and visa denial: 2
- Access bans: 1
- Insult and defamation laws: 1
- Licensing and closure of outlets: 1
- Secrets and espionage laws: 1
Incidents
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2026 | India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026 | India | Insult and defamation laws | Narendra Modi | Unknown (February 10, 2026) |
| January 7, 2026 | Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026 | Israel | Access bans | Sustained (February 25, 2026) | |
| December 15, 2025 | China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026 | Hong Kong | Detention and violence | John Lee | Sustained (February 8, 2026) |
| March 19, 2025 | Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025 | Türkiye | Detention and violence | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Unknown (April 2, 2025) |