{ "title": "Incidents in Europe, stage: punish", "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?continent=europe&stage=punish", "filters": { "continent": "europe", "stage": "punish" }, "sort": "date", "count": 10, "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": "BY", "label": "Belarus", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 165, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "HU", "label": "Hungary", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 74, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "RU", "label": "Russia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "RS", "label": "Serbia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 104, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "GB", "label": "United Kingdom", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 18, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } } ], "continent": [ { "value": "europe", "label": "Europe" } ], "tactic": [ { "value": "access_ban", "label": "Access bans", "count": 3 }, { "value": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "label": "Insult and defamation laws", "count": 3 }, { "value": "detention_and_violence", "label": "Detention and violence", "count": 2 }, { "value": "surveillance_and_subpoenas", "label": "Surveillance and subpoenas", "count": 2 }, { "value": "expulsion_and_visa_denial", "label": "Expulsion and visa denial", "count": 1 }, { "value": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "label": "Shutdowns and blocking", "count": 1 }, { "value": "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "label": "Funding and ownership pressure", "count": 1 } ], "stage": [ { "value": "punish", "label": "Punish", "count": 10 } ], "level": [ { "value": "national", "label": "National", "count": 9 }, { "value": "municipal", "label": "Municipal", "count": 1 } ], "outcome": [ { "value": "sustained", "label": "Sustained", "count": 4 }, { "value": "ongoing", "label": "Ongoing", "count": 3 }, { "value": "unknown", "label": "Unknown", "count": 1 }, { "value": "upheld", "label": "Upheld by a court", "count": 1 }, { "value": "reversed", "label": "Reversed", "count": 1 } ], "leader": [ { "value": "aleksandar-vucic", "label": "Aleksandar Vucic" }, { "value": "alexander-lukashenko", "label": "Alexander Lukashenko" }, { "value": "david-cameron", "label": "David Cameron" }, { "value": "slobodan-milosevic", "label": "Slobodan Milosevic" }, { "value": "viktor-orban", "label": "Viktor Orban" }, { "value": "vladimir-putin", "label": "Vladimir Putin" } ], "era": [ { "value": "2020s", "label": "2020s", "count": 8 }, { "value": "2010s", "label": "2010s", "count": 1 }, { "value": "1990s", "label": "1990s", "count": 1 } ], "year": [ { "value": "1998", "label": "1998", "count": 1 }, { "value": "2013", "label": "2013", "count": 1 }, { "value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 2 }, { "value": "2021", "label": "2021", "count": 1 }, { "value": "2022", "label": "2022", "count": 3 }, { "value": "2025", "label": "2025", "count": 1 }, { "value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 1 } ], "has_case": [ { "value": "0", "label": "without a court case", "count": 10 } ] }, "results": [ { "slug": "2026-hungary-mayor-removes-telex-reporters", "title": "Hungary: a ruling-party mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from a campaign event", "occurred_on": "2026-03-10", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "HU", "country_name": "Hungary", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "HU", "level": "municipal", "tactic_primary": "access_ban", "tactics": [ "access_ban" ], "leader_slug": "viktor-orban", "leader_name": "Viktor Orban", "issue_of_the_day": "Telex, an independent Hungarian outlet, was covering a campaign forum ahead of Hungary's April 2026 parliamentary election when the mayor hosting the event moved to stop the reporting.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "2026-03-10", "outcome_note": "Telex filed a criminal complaint the same period as the removal; the Committee to Protect Journalists reports no resolution of that complaint.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": "A government official used physical force to remove and bar named reporters from an event, rather than only denying a credential or building pass.", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 74, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "A mayor from Hungary's ruling Fidesz party physically removed two Telex journalists from a campaign forum in a community center, covering their camera lens and pushing them out after they declined to leave what he called a closed event.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-hungary-mayor-removes-telex-reporters" }, { "slug": "2025-serbia-police-target-journalists-protests", "title": "Serbian police strike, detain and disarm journalists covering anti-government protests", "occurred_on": "2025-09-05", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "RS", "country_name": "Serbia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RS", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "aleksandar-vucic", "leader_name": "Aleksandar Vucic", "issue_of_the_day": "The protests, which grew through the summer of 2025, followed months of demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic's government that began after a deadly railway-station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in late 2024.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The interior ministry did not respond to CPJ's request for comment, and no officer was reported disciplined for the incidents documented.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 104, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "The Committee to Protect Journalists documented at least 28 Serbian journalists reporting being struck, detained, sprayed with chemical irritants or having their equipment destroyed by police between June and September 2025 while covering nationwide anti-government protests; the interior ministry did not respond to CPJ's request for comment.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-serbia-police-target-journalists-protests" }, { "slug": "2022-russia-bars-entry-foreign-journalists", "title": "Russia: entry bans, visa restrictions and bureau closures for foreign correspondents", "occurred_on": "2022-06-16", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RU", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "access_ban", "tactics": [ "access_ban" ], "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "issue_of_the_day": "Russia's actions followed Western governments' sanctions on Russian state broadcasters and officials after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": "2022-06-16", "outcome_note": "The bans on named British and Australian journalists and the suspension of simplified visas for European journalists remained in effect through 2022 according to the source reviewed.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": "Dozens of named foreign correspondents were barred from entering the country by law and by sanction, not merely excluded from one building or briefing.", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Over several months in 2022, Russian authorities closed a Canadian broadcaster's Moscow bureau, barred dozens of named British and Australian journalists from entering the country, and suspended simplified visa rules for European journalists.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-bars-entry-foreign-journalists" }, { "slug": "2022-russia-expels-cbc-cancels-visas", "title": "Russia: CBC/Radio-Canada bureau closed and journalists' visas cancelled", "occurred_on": "2022-05-18", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RU", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "expulsion_and_visa_denial", "tactics": [ "expulsion_and_visa_denial" ], "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": "2022-05-18", "outcome_note": "The bureau closure and visa cancellations were not reported as reversed in the sources reviewed.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": "Russia closed a foreign broadcaster's bureau and cancelled its journalists' visas and accreditation after Canada imposed sanctions; the September 2026 White House ban restricted building access but did not remove any outlet's staff from the country.", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Russian authorities ordered the Canadian broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada's Moscow bureau closed and cancelled its journalists' visas and accreditation, part of a wave of expulsions and non-renewals of foreign correspondents after the invasion of Ukraine.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-expels-cbc-cancels-visas" }, { "slug": "2022-russia-criminalizes-fake-war-reports", "title": "Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prison", "occurred_on": "2022-03-04", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RU", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "insult_and_defamation_laws", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "issue_of_the_day": "The law followed Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and was aimed at reporting on the war that differed from the Russian defense ministry's official statements about casualties and military conduct.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The law remained in force; independent outlets that avoided closure continued operating from outside Russia.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Russia's parliament passed a law criminalizing the publication of information about the military that contradicts official statements, with penalties up to 15 years in prison, prompting Novaya Gazeta to pull its Ukraine war coverage and the BBC, CNN and other outlets to suspend operations inside Russia.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-criminalizes-fake-war-reports" }, { "slug": "2021-hungary-panyi-pegasus-spyware", "title": "Hungary: investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi's phone is infected with Pegasus spyware", "occurred_on": "2021-07-01", "occurred_on_precision": "month", "country": "HU", "country_name": "Hungary", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "HU", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "surveillance_and_subpoenas", "tactics": [ "surveillance_and_subpoenas" ], "leader_slug": "viktor-orban", "leader_name": "Viktor Orban", "issue_of_the_day": "The finding was published as part of the July 2021 Pegasus Project, a collaborative investigation by Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International's Security Lab into governments' use of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware against journalists and civil society figures worldwide.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "2021-07-01", "outcome_note": "The finding prompted European Union scrutiny of Pegasus use against journalists, but the source reviewed does not report any Hungarian accountability measure.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": "A journalist's phone was covertly infected with spyware capable of reading his communications and locating his sources, rather than a subpoena for records already created.", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 74, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Amnesty International found forensic traces of Pegasus spyware on the phone of Direkt36 investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who covers Hungarian national security and diplomacy, as part of the wider Pegasus Project investigation.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-hungary-panyi-pegasus-spyware" }, { "slug": "2020-belarus-strips-accreditation-foreign-outlets", "title": "Belarus: accreditation withdrawn from 17 journalists working for foreign outlets", "occurred_on": "2020-08-29", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "BY", "country_name": "Belarus", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "BY", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "access_ban", "tactics": [ "access_ban" ], "leader_slug": "alexander-lukashenko", "leader_name": "Alexander Lukashenko", "issue_of_the_day": "The journalists had been covering protests that followed Belarus's August 9, 2020, presidential election, which the opposition and Western governments said was falsified in favor of Alexander Lukashenko.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": "2020-08-29", "outcome_note": "The accreditation of at least 17 journalists was withdrawn and some were deported the same day, with no reversal reported in the source reviewed.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": "At least 17 journalists working for named international outlets lost accreditation nationwide and some were deported, not confined to one building or pool.", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 165, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Belarus's government revoked the accreditation of at least 17 journalists working for foreign outlets, including the BBC, Reuters, the Associated Press, Radio Liberty, AFP and Deutsche Welle, as they covered protests after a disputed presidential election.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-belarus-strips-accreditation-foreign-outlets" }, { "slug": "2020-hungary-coronavirus-fake-news-law", "title": "Hungary criminalizes false coronavirus information and grants Orban decree powers", "occurred_on": "2020-03-30", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "HU", "country_name": "Hungary", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "HU", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "leader_slug": "viktor-orban", "leader_name": "Viktor Orban", "issue_of_the_day": "The law was passed as Hungary, like much of Europe, entered its first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020; the government said it needed emergency powers to respond quickly to the pandemic.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Hungary's government said it would end Orban's decree powers by June 20, 2020; the false-information provision's later fate was not established.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 74, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Hungary's parliament passed an emergency coronavirus law allowing prison terms of up to five years for spreading information the government deemed false or distorted about the pandemic, and let Prime Minister Viktor Orban rule by decree for an unlimited period.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-hungary-coronavirus-fake-news-law" }, { "slug": "2013-uk-miranda-detention-guardian-hard-drives", "title": "United Kingdom detains journalist's partner under terrorism law and oversees destruction of Guardian hard drives holding Snowden files", "occurred_on": "2013-08-18", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "GB", "country_name": "United Kingdom", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "GB", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "surveillance_and_subpoenas", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "surveillance_and_subpoenas" ], "leader_slug": "david-cameron", "leader_name": "David Cameron", "issue_of_the_day": "The Guardian's 2013 reporting, based on files leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, on mass surveillance by the United States and United Kingdom.", "outcome": "upheld", "outcome_on": "2016-01-19", "outcome_note": "The Court of Appeal ruled in January 2016 that Miranda's detention itself was lawful, but found Schedule 7's stop powers incompatible with press-freedom protections for journalistic material generally.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 18, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2010s", "granularity": "anchor", "status": "historical", "case_count": 0, "summary": "British authorities detained David Miranda, partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, for nine hours at Heathrow Airport under anti-terrorism powers, and separately had Guardian staff destroy hard drives holding files leaked by Edward Snowden rather than hand them to a court.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2013-uk-miranda-detention-guardian-hard-drives" }, { "slug": "1998-serbia-public-information-act-fines", "title": "Serbia's Public Information Act lets courts fine independent newspapers into financial danger", "occurred_on": "1998-10-20", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "RS", "country_name": "Serbia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RS", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "leader_slug": "slobodan-milosevic", "leader_name": "Slobodan Milosevic", "issue_of_the_day": "Independent Serbian media's coverage of NATO's escalating confrontation with Yugoslavia over Kosovo through 1998 and 1999.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2000-10-01", "outcome_note": "The law was suspended after Milosevic lost power in October 2000 elections and a change of government in Serbia.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 104, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "1990s", "granularity": "anchor", "status": "historical", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Serbia's parliament passed a Public Information Act allowing courts to levy same-day fines against newspapers for vaguely defined offenses against the state's interests, and independent papers were fined far more often and more heavily than pro-government ones.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1998-serbia-public-information-act-fines" } ], "downloads": { "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?continent=europe&stage=punish&format=csv", "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.json?continent=europe&stage=punish", "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.md?continent=europe&stage=punish" }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" } }