The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Continent

Asia

Government actions against journalists in Asia

Engraving of an open atlas showing the outline of Asia

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

Countries

Tactics used

Incidents

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
20 August 2026Kazakhstan: fabricated copyright complaints used against journalistsKazakhstan (RSF rank: not recorded)Lawsuits against the pressKassym-Jomart TokayevOngoing (20 August 2026)
10 February 2026India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026India (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsNarendra ModiUnknown (10 February 2026)
7 January 2026Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026Israel (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Access bansSustained (25 February 2026)
15 December 2025China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026Hong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180)Detention and violenceJohn LeeSustained (8 February 2026)
19 March 2025Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025Türkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Detention and violenceRecep Tayyip ErdoğanUnknown (2 April 2025)
3 February 2025Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber lawsBangladesh (RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180)Detention and violenceMuhammad YunusOngoing
29 January 2025Pakistan amends cybercrime law to create new agency policing 'fake' online contentPakistan (RSF 2026 rank: 153rd of 180)Official labelsShehbaz SharifSustained
November 2024China: editor Dong Yuyu is sentenced to seven years for espionage over meals with a diplomatChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsXi JinpingOngoing (1 November 2024)
29 August 2024Hong Kong court convicts Stand News editors of seditionHong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsJohn LeeUpheld by a court (26 September 2024)
20 August 2024Kazakhstan: new accreditation rules let officials withdraw a journalist's pass for off-topic questionsKazakhstan (RSF rank: not recorded)Credential controlKassym-Jomart TokayevOngoing (3 September 2024)
28 May 2024Georgia 'foreign influence' law for media, 2024Georgia (RSF 2026 rank: 135th of 180)Official labelsIrakli KobakhidzeSustained
March 2024Bombay High Court strikes down India's government 'fact check unit' ruleIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Official labelsNarendra ModiReversed (20 September 2024)
17 January 2024Iran: journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi are sentenced to 13 and 12 yearsIran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsEbrahim RaisiOngoing (17 January 2024)
1 November 2023Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' lawTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing
21 August 2023India: Gaon Savera's Facebook and X accounts blockedIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingNarendra ModiUnknown
22 February 2023Türkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverageTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Prior restraintRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (22 February 2023)
14 February 2023Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary banIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasNarendra ModiUnknown
13 February 2023Cambodia: Prime Minister Hun Sen orders Voice of Democracy's license revoked over one articleCambodia (RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHun SenSustained (13 February 2023)
22 January 2022Türkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas is arrested for a proverb about President ErdoganTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing (22 June 2023)
14 January 2022Türkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the presidentTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Lawsuits against the pressRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing (22 June 2023)
14 December 2021Vietnam: journalist Pham Doan Trang is sentenced to nine years for anti-state "propaganda"Viet Nam (RSF rank: not recorded)Secrets and espionage lawsNguyen Xuan PhucSustained (14 December 2021)
24 June 2021China (Hong Kong): Apple Daily closes after its assets are frozen under the national security lawHong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsCarrie LamSustained (24 June 2021)
1 April 2021Türkiye: the presidency's press card system is found restrictive by the country's top administrative courtTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Credential controlRecep Tayyip ErdoğanReversed (1 April 2021)
8 March 2021Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coupMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMin Aung HlaingSustained
February 2021Myanmar: military cuts mobile internet after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingMin Aung HlaingOngoing (3 May 2021)
15 June 2020Philippines: Maria Ressa convicted of cyber libelPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressRodrigo DuterteOngoing (15 June 2020)
14 May 2020China: citizen journalist Zhang Zhan imprisoned for Wuhan reportingChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Detention and violenceXi JinpingOngoing
18 March 2020China: press credentials and visas withheld from correspondents at three American newspapersChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Credential controlXi JinpingSustained (3 March 2021)
17 March 2020China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapersChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialXi JinpingSustained
19 February 2020China: three Wall Street Journal correspondents expelled over an opinion headlineChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Access bansXi JinpingSustained (19 February 2020)
16 November 2019Iran: near-total internet shutdown during fuel-price protestsIran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingHassan RouhaniReversed (23 November 2019)
7 November 2019India: journalist Aatish Taseer's overseas citizenship revokedIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialNarendra ModiSustained (7 November 2019)
5 August 2019India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special statusIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingNarendra ModiOngoing (5 August 2020)
13 February 2019Philippines: Rappler's Maria Ressa arrested over cyber libel casePhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Detention and violenceRodrigo DuterteReversed (14 February 2019)
17 January 2019Türkiye: Dutch freelance journalist Ans Boersma deportedTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Expulsion and visa denialRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (17 January 2019)
2 October 2018Saudi Arabia's government kills journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulateSaudi Arabia (RSF 2026 rank: 176th of 180)Detention and violenceSalman bin Abdulaziz Al SaudUnknown
1 October 2018Saudi Arabia: spyware on an associate's phone precedes Jamal Khashoggi's killing by one daySaudi Arabia (RSF 2026 rank: 176th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasSalman bin Abdulaziz Al SaudUnknown (1 October 2018)
3 September 2018Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacreMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsAung San Suu KyiReversed (7 May 2019)
21 March 2018Türkiye: Dogan Holding sells its media outlets to DemirorenTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (21 March 2018)
21 February 2018Philippines: a Rappler reporter is barred from the presidential palacePhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Access bansRodrigo DuterteUnknown (21 February 2018)
4 September 2017Cambodia's government forces the closure of The Cambodia Daily with a disputed multimillion-dollar tax billCambodia (RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHun SenSustained (4 September 2017)
27 July 2016Turkey closes more than 100 media outlets by decree after a failed coup attemptTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (31 December 2016)
4 March 2016Türkiye: court installs trustees at Zaman newspaperTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (4 March 2016)
1 September 2015Azerbaijan: investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova sentenced to 7.5 yearsAzerbaijan (RSF rank: not recorded)Detention and violenceIlham AliyevReversed (25 May 2016)
September 2013Vietnam: Decree 72 restricts blogs to personal informationViet Nam (RSF rank: not recorded)Official labelsNguyen Tan DungSustained (1 September 2013)
24 January 2013Thailand: magazine editor Somyot Prueksakasemsuk is sentenced to 11 years under the lese-majeste lawThailand (RSF rank: not recorded)Insult and defamation lawsYingluck ShinawatraUpheld by a court (30 April 2018)
June 2010Israel: a court bars any mention of the 'Prisoner X' caseIsrael (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Prior restraintBenjamin NetanyahuUnknown (1 June 2010)
21 June 2009Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 electionIran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialMahmoud AhmadinejadUnknown
8 June 2009North Korea: American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are sentenced to hard laborNorth Korea (RSF rank: not recorded)Secrets and espionage lawsKim Jong IlReversed (4 August 2009)
20 September 1998Malaysia pressures domestic media and monitors foreign correspondents after arresting former deputy premier Anwar IbrahimMalaysia (RSF 2026 rank: 95th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasMahathir MohamadUnknown
14 June 1989China expels foreign journalists and restricts coverage of the Tiananmen Square protestsChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialLi PengSustained (1 January 1990)
18 September 1988Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Prior restraintSaw MaungOngoing (1 January 1989)
1987Malaysia: Printing Presses and Publications Act amended to bar court review of publishing permits, 1987Malaysia (RSF 2026 rank: 95th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMahathir MohamadSustained
31 July 1980South Korea's martial-law government purges journalists who resisted press controlsSouth Korea (RSF 2026 rank: 47th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsChun Doo-hwanReversed (1 June 1987)
26 June 1975India imposes pre-press controls on every newspaper during the 1975 EmergencyIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Prior restraintIndira GandhiReversed (21 March 1977)
21 September 1972Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial lawPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingFerdinand MarcosReversed (25 February 1986)
1948Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the pressIsrael (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Prior restraintDavid Ben-GurionOngoing (1 January 1989)
July 1937Japan: government requires clearance to publish war news under the Newspaper Law, 1937Japan (RSF rank: not recorded)Prior restraintFumimaro KonoeSustained
1926Dutch East Indies: Colonial authorities end publication of the communist newspaper Mawa under Penal Code Article 153 bis, 1926Indonesia (RSF rank: not recorded)Licensing and closure of outletsAndries Cornelis Dirk de GraeffSustained (1 January 1926)
9 March 1913Ottoman Empire bars lawmakers and officials from editing newspapers and jails a leading editorTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMehmed VSustained (9 March 1913)
1901Philippines: United States colonial government's libel law is used to close the newspaper El RenacimientoPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsWilliam Howard TaftUpheld by a court (1 January 1914)

Ladders: where each tactic has led

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