The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Home / Incidents

Incidents: prior restraint 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.

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

8 incidents match this view.

Country: India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180 Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180 Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180 Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180 Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180

Continent: Asia

Tactic: Prior restraint (8) Detention and violence (2) Official labels (1) Surveillance and subpoenas (1) Licensing and closure of outlets (1) Shutdowns and blocking (1)

Stage: Pressure (3) Silence (5)

Outcome: Reversed (3) Unknown (2) Ongoing (2) Sustained (1)

Level: National (8)

Head of government: Benjamin Netanyahu David Ben-Gurion Ferdinand Marcos Indira Gandhi Narendra Modi Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Saw Maung

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
March 2024Bombay High Court strikes down India's government 'fact check unit' ruleIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Official labelsNarendra ModiReversed (September 20, 2024)
February 22, 2023Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverageTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Prior restraintRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (February 22, 2023)
February 14, 2023Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary banIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasNarendra ModiUnknown
June 2010Israel: a court bars any mention of the 'Prisoner X' caseIsrael (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Prior restraintBenjamin NetanyahuUnknown (June 1, 2010)
September 18, 1988Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Prior restraintSaw MaungOngoing (January 1, 1989)
June 26, 1975India imposes pre-press controls on every newspaper during the 1975 EmergencyIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Prior restraintIndira GandhiReversed (March 21, 1977)
September 21, 1972Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial lawPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingFerdinand MarcosReversed (February 25, 1986)
1948Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the pressIsrael (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Prior restraintDavid Ben-GurionOngoing (January 1, 1989)
Download this view

CSV, JSON or Markdown. CC BY 4.0; credit "The War On News, thewaronnews.com".

CSVJSONMarkdown

Incidents (RSS)Incidents (Atom)Incidents (JSON Feed)All incidents (CSV)