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How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

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Incidents: detention and violence 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.

11 incidents match this view.

Country: Myanmar (3) Türkiye (2) India (1) Hong Kong (1) Bangladesh (1) Saudi Arabia (1) South Korea (1) Philippines (1)

Continent: Asia (11)

Tactic: Detention and violence (11) Licensing and closure of outlets (3) Insult and defamation laws (2) Secrets and espionage laws (2) Prior restraint (2) Expulsion and visa denial (1) Surveillance and subpoenas (1) Shutdowns and blocking (1)

Outcome: Unknown (3) Ongoing (3) Reversed (3) Sustained (2)

Level: National (10) State or province (1)

Head of government: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (2) Narendra Modi (1) John Lee (1) Muhammad Yunus (1) Min Aung Hlaing (1) Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1) Aung San Suu Kyi (1) Saw Maung (1) Chun Doo-hwan (1) Ferdinand Marcos (1)

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
February 10, 2026India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026IndiaInsult and defamation lawsNarendra ModiUnknown (February 10, 2026)
December 15, 2025China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026Hong KongDetention and violenceJohn LeeSustained (February 8, 2026)
March 19, 2025Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025TürkiyeDetention and violenceRecep Tayyip ErdoğanUnknown (April 2, 2025)
February 3, 2025Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber lawsBangladeshDetention and violenceMuhammad YunusOngoing
November 1, 2023Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' lawTürkiyeInsult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing
March 8, 2021Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coupMyanmarLicensing and closure of outletsMin Aung HlaingSustained
October 2, 2018Saudi Arabia's government kills journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulateSaudi ArabiaDetention and violenceSalman bin Abdulaziz Al SaudUnknown
September 3, 2018Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacreMyanmarSecrets and espionage lawsAung San Suu KyiReversed (May 7, 2019)
September 18, 1988Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing powerMyanmarPrior restraintSaw MaungOngoing (January 1, 1989)
July 31, 1980South Korea's martial-law government purges journalists who resisted press controlsSouth KoreaLicensing and closure of outletsChun Doo-hwanReversed (June 1, 1987)
September 21, 1972Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial lawPhilippinesShutdowns and blockingFerdinand MarcosReversed (February 25, 1986)
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