Era
The 2000s
Government actions against journalists, 2000 to 2009
11 recorded incidents dated 2000 to 2009, by continent and region.
Africa
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2001 | Eritrea: independent press closed and journalists jailed without trial | Eritrea (RSF rank: not recorded) | Detention and violence | Isaias Afwerki | Ongoing |
| 15 March 2002 | Zimbabwe enacts a law requiring all journalists and media houses to hold government licenses | Zimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180) | Licensing and closure of outlets | Robert Mugabe | Unknown |
| 12 September 2003 | Zimbabwe: police close the Daily News under the media registration law | Zimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180) | Licensing and closure of outlets | Robert Mugabe | Reversed (27 May 2010) |
| 12 May 2005 | Zimbabwe: the High Court refuses to accredit Daily News journalists under the media registration law | Zimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180) | Credential control | Robert Mugabe | Upheld by a court (12 May 2005) |
Asia
Eastern Asia
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 June 2009 | North Korea: American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are sentenced to hard labor | North Korea (RSF rank: not recorded) | Secrets and espionage laws | Kim Jong Il | Reversed (4 August 2009) |
Southern Asia
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 June 2009 | Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 election | Iran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180) | Expulsion and visa denial | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Unknown |
Europe
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 April 2001 | State-controlled Gazprom takes formal control of Russia's independent NTV television network | Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180) | Funding and ownership pressure | Vladimir Putin | Sustained (14 April 2001) |
| 7 October 2006 | Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya is shot dead in Moscow; a former police officer is later convicted of organizing the killing | Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180) | Detention and violence | Vladimir Putin | Upheld by a court (9 June 2014) |
North America
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 February 2003 | Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in Iraq | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Access bans | George W. Bush | Sustained (14 April 2003) |
| 6 July 2005 | New York Times reporter Judith Miller jailed for refusing to name a confidential source in the Valerie Plame affair | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Surveillance and subpoenas | George W. Bush | Upheld by a court (29 September 2005) |
South America
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2007 | Venezuela: the government declines to renew RCTV's broadcast concession | Venezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180) | Licensing and closure of outlets | Hugo Chavez | Sustained (8 September 2015) |