Incidents: secrets and espionage laws in Africa
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.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
3 incidents match this view.
Country: Egypt, RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180 Nigeria, RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180 Zimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180
Continent: Africa
Tactic: Secrets and espionage laws (3) Detention and violence (2) Insult and defamation laws (1)
Stage: Punish (2) Eliminate (1)
Outcome: Reversed (2) Sustained (1)
Level: National (3)
Head of government: Adly Mansour Emmerson Mnangagwa Sani Abacha
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2023 | Zimbabwe's Patriotic Act criminalizes journalists' contact with foreign governments | Zimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180) | Secrets and espionage laws | Emmerson Mnangagwa | Sustained (July 14, 2023) |
| December 29, 2013 | Egypt arrests and later convicts three Al Jazeera journalists on terrorism-related charges | Egypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180) | Detention and violence | Adly Mansour | Reversed (September 23, 2015) |
| July 1995 | Nigeria's military government convicts journalists by special tribunal over coup-plot reporting | Nigeria (RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180) | Detention and violence | Sani Abacha | Reversed (June 15, 1998) |
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