{
  "title": "Incidents: shutdowns and blocking, outcome reversed",
  "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&outcome=reversed",
  "filters": {
    "tactic": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
    "outcome": "reversed"
  },
  "sort": "date",
  "count": 5,
  "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": "AU",
        "label": "Australia",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 33,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      },
      {
        "value": "CZ",
        "label": "Czechia",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 11,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/country-czechia"
        }
      },
      {
        "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": "PL",
        "label": "Poland",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 27,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      },
      {
        "value": "ZA",
        "label": "South Africa",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 21,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      }
    ],
    "continent": [
      {
        "value": "africa",
        "label": "Africa"
      },
      {
        "value": "asia",
        "label": "Asia"
      },
      {
        "value": "europe",
        "label": "Europe"
      },
      {
        "value": "oceania",
        "label": "Oceania"
      }
    ],
    "tactic": [
      {
        "value": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
        "label": "Shutdowns and blocking",
        "count": 5
      },
      {
        "value": "prior_restraint",
        "label": "Prior restraint",
        "count": 3
      },
      {
        "value": "detention_and_violence",
        "label": "Detention and violence",
        "count": 2
      },
      {
        "value": "access_ban",
        "label": "Access bans",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "stage": [
      {
        "value": "silence",
        "label": "Silence",
        "count": 5
      }
    ],
    "level": [
      {
        "value": "national",
        "label": "National",
        "count": 5
      }
    ],
    "outcome": [
      {
        "value": "reversed",
        "label": "Reversed",
        "count": 5
      }
    ],
    "leader": [
      {
        "value": "alexander-dubcek",
        "label": "Alexander Dubček"
      },
      {
        "value": "ferdinand-marcos",
        "label": "Ferdinand Marcos"
      },
      {
        "value": "john-curtin",
        "label": "John Curtin"
      },
      {
        "value": "p-w-botha",
        "label": "P. W. Botha"
      },
      {
        "value": "wojciech-jaruzelski",
        "label": "Wojciech Jaruzelski"
      }
    ],
    "era": [
      {
        "value": "1980s",
        "label": "1980s",
        "count": 2
      },
      {
        "value": "1970s",
        "label": "1970s",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1960s",
        "label": "1960s",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1940s",
        "label": "1940s",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "year": [
      {
        "value": "1944",
        "label": "1944",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1968",
        "label": "1968",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1972",
        "label": "1972",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1981",
        "label": "1981",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1985",
        "label": "1985",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "has_case": [
      {
        "value": "0",
        "label": "without a court case",
        "count": 5
      }
    ]
  },
  "results": [
    {
      "slug": "1985-south-africa-state-of-emergency-media-ban",
      "title": "South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergency",
      "occurred_on": "1985-11-02",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "ZA",
      "country_name": "South Africa",
      "continent": "africa",
      "jurisdiction": "ZA",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
      "tactics": [
        "access_ban",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "p-w-botha",
      "leader_name": "P. W. Botha",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Unrest against apartheid had spread through South Africa's Black townships through 1985, and the government's emergency regulations applied to the television and photographic coverage that had brought international attention to the violence.",
      "outcome": "reversed",
      "outcome_on": "1990-06-01",
      "outcome_note": "South Africa's state of emergency and its media restrictions ended in June 1990 as State President F. W. de Klerk began dismantling apartheid.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 21,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "1980s",
      "granularity": "anchor",
      "status": "historical",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "Under a state of emergency State President P. W. Botha had declared in July 1985, the government banned television, radio and photographic coverage of unrest in South Africa's Black townships on November 2, 1985, requiring print journalists to report only under police escort.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1985-south-africa-state-of-emergency-media-ban"
    },
    {
      "slug": "1981-poland-martial-law-press-suspended",
      "title": "Poland's martial law government shuts nearly all newspapers and interns journalists overnight",
      "occurred_on": "1981-12-13",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "PL",
      "country_name": "Poland",
      "continent": "europe",
      "jurisdiction": "PL",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
      "tactics": [
        "detention_and_violence",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "wojciech-jaruzelski",
      "leader_name": "Wojciech Jaruzelski",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Poland's Solidarity trade union movement had grown into a mass challenge to Communist Party rule through 1980 and 1981, and Jaruzelski's government imposed martial law to suppress the movement and the independent press associated with it.",
      "outcome": "reversed",
      "outcome_on": "1983-07-22",
      "outcome_note": "Martial law was formally lifted on July 22, 1983, though reduced press press controls in Poland continued until the fall of Communist rule in 1989.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 27,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "1980s",
      "granularity": "anchor",
      "status": "historical",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "On December 13, 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law in Poland, cutting phone and telex lines, suspending nearly all newspapers, and interning thousands of people, most Solidarity trade union journalists among them, within days.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1981-poland-martial-law-press-suspended"
    },
    {
      "slug": "1972-philippines-marcos-martial-law-media-closures",
      "title": "Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial law",
      "occurred_on": "1972-09-21",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "PH",
      "country_name": "Philippines",
      "continent": "asia",
      "jurisdiction": "PH",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
      "tactics": [
        "detention_and_violence",
        "prior_restraint",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "ferdinand-marcos",
      "leader_name": "Ferdinand Marcos",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Marcos had declared martial law citing threats from Communist insurgency and civil unrest, and moved immediately to eliminate independent media coverage that might question the declaration or his expanding powers.",
      "outcome": "reversed",
      "outcome_on": "1986-02-25",
      "outcome_note": "Marcos was removed from power in the People Power Revolution of February 22-25, 1986, ending martial-law controls on the Philippine press.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "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": "1970s",
      "granularity": "anchor",
      "status": "historical",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, and the next day ordered the military to take over nearly every newspaper, radio and television station in the Philippines, jailing prominent publishers and editors and requiring government clearance for whatever remained.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1972-philippines-marcos-martial-law-media-closures"
    },
    {
      "slug": "1968-czechoslovakia-normalization-censorship",
      "title": "Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia is followed by the return of government press press controls",
      "occurred_on": "1968-08-21",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "CZ",
      "country_name": "Czechia",
      "continent": "europe",
      "jurisdiction": "CZ",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "prior_restraint",
      "tactics": [
        "prior_restraint",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "alexander-dubcek",
      "leader_name": "Alexander Dubček",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Czechoslovakia's Prague Spring reforms, including eased press press controls, had alarmed the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies, who invaded to reverse the liberalization before it could spread further.",
      "outcome": "reversed",
      "outcome_on": "1989-11-01",
      "outcome_note": "Formal press press controls in Czechoslovakia ended with the Velvet Revolution of November 1989, which brought down Communist Party rule.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 11,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/country-czechia"
      },
      "era": "1960s",
      "granularity": "anchor",
      "status": "historical",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia on August 20-21, 1968 to end the Prague Spring, a period of liberalization under Alexander Dubček that had included the lifting of press press controls. In the invasion's aftermath, the new leadership reimposed government press controls of the press.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1968-czechoslovakia-normalization-censorship"
    },
    {
      "slug": "1944-australia-calwell-newspaper-seizure",
      "title": "Australia's wartime government seizes a Sydney newspaper edition under press controls rules",
      "occurred_on": "1944-04-16",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "AU",
      "country_name": "Australia",
      "continent": "oceania",
      "jurisdiction": "AU",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "prior_restraint",
      "tactics": [
        "prior_restraint",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "john-curtin",
      "leader_name": "John Curtin",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Australia remained at war in the Pacific in 1944, and its wartime press controls apparatus, already the subject of tension with newspaper proprietors, moved against the Sunday Telegraph for material it judged to breach the press controls rules.",
      "outcome": "reversed",
      "outcome_on": "1944-04-18",
      "outcome_note": "The High Court of Australia granted an injunction days after the seizure, blocking further suppression of the newspaper's editions.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 33,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "1940s",
      "granularity": "anchor",
      "status": "historical",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "Australia's wartime government, under Prime Minister John Curtin, controlled press coverage of military events through the Department of Information. In April 1944, Minister for Information Arthur Calwell ordered the seizure of copies of the Sydney Sunday Telegraph for breaching press controls rules, prompting newspapers' joint protest and a High Court injunction against the seizure.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1944-australia-calwell-newspaper-seizure"
    }
  ],
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  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
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}