Country
Hong Kong
Government actions against journalists in Hong Kong
RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
Hong Kong is in Eastern Asia, Asia. The record holds 3 incidents in which the government of Hong Kong, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.
Tactics used
- Licensing and closure of outlets: 2 incidents · ladder
- Detention and violence: 1 incident · ladder
- Insult and defamation laws: 1 incident · ladder
- Secrets and espionage laws: 1 incident · ladder
Heads of government at the time
Incidents by year
2025
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 December 2025 | China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026 | Detention and violence | Eliminate | John Lee | Sustained (8 February 2026) |
2024
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August 2024 | Hong Kong court convicts Stand News editors of sedition | Insult and defamation laws | Punish | John Lee | Upheld by a court (26 September 2024) |
2021
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 June 2021 | China (Hong Kong): Apple Daily closes after its assets are frozen under the national security law | Licensing and closure of outlets | Silence | Carrie Lam | Sustained (24 June 2021) |
Ladders: where each tactic has led · Timeline for Hong Kong · Asia