{
  "title": "Incidents: lawsuits against the press in Asia",
  "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?continent=asia&tactic=lawsuits_against_press",
  "filters": {
    "continent": "asia",
    "tactic": "lawsuits_against_press"
  },
  "sort": "date",
  "count": 3,
  "page": 1,
  "pages": 1,
  "per_page": 50,
  "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.",
  "facets": {
    "country": [
      {
        "value": "KZ",
        "label": "Kazakhstan",
        "rsf": null
      },
      {
        "value": "PH",
        "label": "Philippines",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 114,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      },
      {
        "value": "TR",
        "label": "Türkiye",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 163,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      }
    ],
    "continent": [
      {
        "value": "asia",
        "label": "Asia"
      }
    ],
    "tactic": [
      {
        "value": "lawsuits_against_press",
        "label": "Lawsuits against the press",
        "count": 3
      }
    ],
    "stage": [
      {
        "value": "pressure",
        "label": "Pressure",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "punish",
        "label": "Punish",
        "count": 2
      }
    ],
    "level": [
      {
        "value": "national",
        "label": "National",
        "count": 3
      }
    ],
    "outcome": [
      {
        "value": "ongoing",
        "label": "Ongoing",
        "count": 3
      }
    ],
    "leader": [
      {
        "value": "kassym-jomart-tokayev",
        "label": "Kassym-Jomart Tokayev"
      },
      {
        "value": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
        "label": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan"
      },
      {
        "value": "rodrigo-duterte",
        "label": "Rodrigo Duterte"
      }
    ],
    "era": [
      {
        "value": "2020s",
        "label": "2020s",
        "count": 3
      }
    ],
    "year": [
      {
        "value": "2020",
        "label": "2020",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "2022",
        "label": "2022",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "2026",
        "label": "2026",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "has_case": [
      {
        "value": "0",
        "label": "without a court case",
        "count": 3
      }
    ]
  },
  "results": [
    {
      "slug": "2026-kazakhstan-copyright-claims-against-press",
      "title": "Kazakhstan: fabricated copyright complaints used against journalists",
      "occurred_on": "2026-08-20",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "KZ",
      "country_name": "Kazakhstan",
      "continent": "asia",
      "jurisdiction": "KZ",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "lawsuits_against_press",
      "tactics": [
        "lawsuits_against_press"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "kassym-jomart-tokayev",
      "leader_name": "Kassym-Jomart Tokayev",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.",
      "outcome": "ongoing",
      "outcome_on": "2026-08-20",
      "outcome_note": "The pattern was reported as continuing at the time of the source reviewed, with no described resolution.",
      "stage": "pressure",
      "ladder_note": "An investigation found paid services filing fabricated copyright complaints to remove Kazakh journalists' accounts, bypassing courts entirely; United States lawsuits against the press in the record proceed openly through the court system.",
      "rsf": null,
      "era": "2020s",
      "granularity": "granular",
      "status": "in_effect",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "An investigation found paid services in Kazakhstan filing fabricated copyright complaints, impersonating global brands, to get social media platforms to remove journalists' accounts and posts, alongside criminal prosecutions of the press.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-kazakhstan-copyright-claims-against-press"
    },
    {
      "slug": "2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas",
      "title": "Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the president",
      "occurred_on": "2022-01-14",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "TR",
      "country_name": "Türkiye",
      "continent": "asia",
      "jurisdiction": "TR",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "lawsuits_against_press",
      "tactics": [
        "lawsuits_against_press"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
      "leader_name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.",
      "outcome": "ongoing",
      "outcome_on": "2023-06-22",
      "outcome_note": "The Istanbul court declined to dismiss the second charge and the case remained open as of the source reviewed.",
      "stage": "punish",
      "ladder_note": "A journalist faced a second prosecution carrying up to four years in prison for tweets questioning the president's diploma, after an earlier conviction on the same charge; United States lawsuits against the press seek damages, not prison time.",
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 163,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "2020s",
      "granularity": "granular",
      "status": "in_effect",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "Turkish authorities tried journalist Sedef Kabas repeatedly for insulting President Erdogan over her on-air comments and tweets questioning his college diploma and alleging corruption, an offense carrying up to four years in prison.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas"
    },
    {
      "slug": "2020-philippines-ressa-cyber-libel-conviction",
      "title": "Philippines: Maria Ressa convicted of cyber libel",
      "occurred_on": "2020-06-15",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "PH",
      "country_name": "Philippines",
      "continent": "asia",
      "jurisdiction": "PH",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "lawsuits_against_press",
      "tactics": [
        "lawsuits_against_press"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "rodrigo-duterte",
      "leader_name": "Rodrigo Duterte",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.",
      "outcome": "ongoing",
      "outcome_on": "2020-06-15",
      "outcome_note": "Ressa and Santos were convicted and sentenced but remained free pending appeal, according to the source reviewed.",
      "stage": "punish",
      "ladder_note": "A court convicted an outlet's executive editor of criminal cyber libel and imposed a prison sentence over a story published before the cybercrime law existed; United States lawsuits against the press in the record are civil, seeking damages, not prison time.",
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 114,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "2020s",
      "granularity": "granular",
      "status": "in_effect",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "A Manila court convicted Rappler's Maria Ressa and researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. of criminal cyber libel and sentenced them to up to six years in prison, over a 2012 story republished after the cybercrime law used to charge them took effect.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-philippines-ressa-cyber-libel-conviction"
    }
  ],
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  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  }
}