# Incidents in Asia

Each incident is a dated action by a government, an official, a regulator, a court or a legislature that limited journalists' ability to gather or publish news.

Filters: country, continent, tactic, from, to, level, actor, leader, outlet, outcome, source_kind, has_case, plus q, sort (date, date_asc, country, tactic, relevance), per_page (up to 100), page and view (table or cards), as query parameters.

26 incidents match this view.

| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| February 10, 2026 | [India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-india-journalist-sentenced-adani-defamation) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) | [Insult and defamation laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/insult_and_defamation_laws) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Unknown (February 10, 2026) |
| January 7, 2026 | [Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-israel-maintains-ban-on-foreign-press-access-to-gaza) | [Israel](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/il) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) |  | Sustained (February 25, 2026) |
| December 15, 2025 | [China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-hong-kong-convicts-jimmy-lai-under-national-security-law) | [Hong Kong](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/hk) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [John Lee](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/john-lee) | Sustained (February 8, 2026) |
| March 19, 2025 | [Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-turkiye-detains-and-deports-journalists-covering-protests) | [Türkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tr) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan) | Unknown (April 2, 2025) |
| February 3, 2025 | [Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber laws](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-bangladesh-journalists-attacked-interim-government) | [Bangladesh](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/bd) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Muhammad Yunus](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/muhammad-yunus) | Ongoing |
| January 29, 2025 | [Pakistan amends cybercrime law to create new agency policing 'fake' online content](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-pakistan-amends-peca-cybercrime-law) | [Pakistan](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/pk) | [Official labels](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/disinformation_labeling) | [Shehbaz Sharif](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/shehbaz-sharif) | Sustained |
| August 29, 2024 | [Hong Kong court convicts Stand News editors of sedition](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-hong-kong-stand-news-editors-convicted-sedition) | [Hong Kong](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/hk) | [Insult and defamation laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/insult_and_defamation_laws) | [John Lee](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/john-lee) | Upheld by a court (September 26, 2024) |
| May 28, 2024 | [Georgia enacts 'foreign influence' law requiring media to register as foreign-backed](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-georgia-foreign-influence-law) | [Georgia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ge) | [Official labels](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/disinformation_labeling) | [Irakli Kobakhidze](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/irakli-kobakhidze) | Sustained |
| March 2024 | [Bombay High Court strikes down India's government 'fact check unit' rule](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-india-court-strikes-down-fact-check-unit) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) | [Official labels](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/disinformation_labeling) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Reversed (September 20, 2024) |
| November 1, 2023 | [Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' law](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law) | [Türkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tr) | [Insult and defamation laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/insult_and_defamation_laws) | [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan) | Ongoing |
| February 14, 2023 | [Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary ban](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-india-tax-authorities-raid-bbc-offices) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Unknown |
| March 8, 2021 | [Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coup](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-myanmar-junta-revokes-media-licenses) | [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) | [Licensing and closure of outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing) | [Min Aung Hlaing](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/min-aung-hlaing) | Sustained |
| March 17, 2020 | [China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapers](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-china-expels-us-newspaper-journalists) | [China](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cn) | [Expulsion and visa denial](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/expulsion_and_visa_denial) | [Xi Jinping](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/xi-jinping) | Sustained |
| August 5, 2019 | [India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special status](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-india-kashmir-communications-blackout) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Ongoing (August 5, 2020) |
| October 2, 2018 | [Saudi Arabia's government kills journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulate](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-saudi-arabia-khashoggi-killed-consulate) | [Saudi Arabia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/sa) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/king-salman) | Unknown |
| September 3, 2018 | [Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacre](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-myanmar-reuters-journalists-official-secrets-act) | [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/aung-san-suu-kyi) | Reversed (May 7, 2019) |
| September 4, 2017 | [Cambodia's government forces the closure of The Cambodia Daily with a disputed multimillion-dollar tax bill](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2017-cambodia-daily-closed-tax-bill) | [Cambodia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/kh) | [Licensing and closure of outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing) | [Hun Sen](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/hun-sen) | Sustained (September 4, 2017) |
| July 27, 2016 | [Turkey closes more than 100 media outlets by decree after a failed coup attempt](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2016-turkey-post-coup-media-closures) | [Türkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tr) | [Licensing and closure of outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing) | [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan) | Sustained (December 31, 2016) |
| June 21, 2009 | [Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 election](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2009-iran-post-election-foreign-press-restrictions) | [Iran](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ir) | [Expulsion and visa denial](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/expulsion_and_visa_denial) | [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/mahmoud-ahmadinejad) | Unknown |
| September 20, 1998 | [Malaysia pressures domestic media and monitors foreign correspondents after arresting former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1998-malaysia-anwar-arrest-press-restrictions) | [Malaysia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/my) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [Mahathir Mohamad](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/mahathir-mohamad) | Unknown |
| June 14, 1989 | [China expels foreign journalists and restricts coverage of the Tiananmen Square protests](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1989-china-tiananmen-foreign-journalists-expelled) | [China](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cn) | [Expulsion and visa denial](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/expulsion_and_visa_denial) | [Li Peng](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/li-peng) | Sustained (January 1, 1990) |
| September 18, 1988 | [Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing power](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1988-burma-slorc-press-scrutiny) | [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Saw Maung](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/saw-maung) | Ongoing (January 1, 1989) |
| July 31, 1980 | [South Korea's martial-law government purges journalists who resisted press controls](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1980-south-korea-chun-doo-hwan-press-purge) | [South Korea](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/kr) | [Licensing and closure of outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing) | [Chun Doo-hwan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/chun-doo-hwan) | Reversed (June 1, 1987) |
| June 26, 1975 | [India imposes pre-press controls on every newspaper during the 1975 Emergency](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1975-india-emergency-press-censorship) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Indira Gandhi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/indira-gandhi) | Reversed (March 21, 1977) |
| September 21, 1972 | [Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial law](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1972-philippines-marcos-martial-law-media-closures) | [Philippines](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ph) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Ferdinand Marcos](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/ferdinand-marcos) | Reversed (February 25, 1986) |
| 1948 | [Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the press](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1948-israel-military-censorship-established) | [Israel](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/il) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [David Ben-Gurion](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/david-ben-gurion) | Ongoing (January 1, 1989) |

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