{ "title": "Ladder: detention and violence, in Europe", "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/detention_and_violence?continent=europe", "filters": { "continent": "europe" }, "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.", "tactic": { "slug": "detention_and_violence", "name": "Detention and violence", "definition": "Arrest, detention, prosecution, imprisonment, physical harm or killing of journalists, where police, soldiers, officials or others acting for a government carried out, ordered or authorised the act. Harm by private people is recorded only when a government actor was involved.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence" }, "focal_case": "US", "count": 10, "stages": [ { "stage": "punish", "name": "Punish", "definition": "Legal or physical action against individual journalists or sources: subpoenas and record seizures, prosecutions, arrests, detention, expulsions, visa denials, assault where a government actor is involved.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "1962-west-germany-spiegel-affair-raid-and-arrests", "title": "West Germany: police raid Der Spiegel's offices and arrest its editors over a defense article", "occurred_on": "1962-10-26", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "DE", "country_name": "Germany", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 14, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "konrad-adenauer", "leader_name": "Konrad Adenauer", "what_was_done": "On October 26, 1962, West German police raided the offices of the news magazine Der Spiegel and arrested its publisher, Rudolf Augstein, after it reported that the armed forces were only \"conditionally prepared\" for a nuclear strike.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The dispute over the defense minister's role helped bring on a coalition crisis, and Chancellor Adenauer's resignation took effect on October 15, 1963.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 4, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "prior_restraint" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1962-west-germany-spiegel-affair-raid-and-arrests" }, { "slug": "1986-ussr-daniloff-moscow-arrest", "title": "Soviet Union: arrest and seven-week detention of American correspondent Nicholas Daniloff in Moscow, 1986", "occurred_on": "1986-08-30", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "mikhail-gorbachev", "leader_name": "Mikhail Gorbachev", "what_was_done": "Soviet authorities arrested Nicholas Daniloff, the Moscow correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, on August 30, 1986, days after the United States arrested a Soviet United Nations employee on espionage charges.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "1986-09-29", "outcome_note": "Daniloff left Moscow for the West on September 29, 1986, though the White House denied that his departure and Zakharov's release amounted to a formal exchange.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 6, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1986-ussr-daniloff-moscow-arrest" }, { "slug": "1997-by-sheremet-imprisoned-for-ort-reporting", "title": "Belarus jails journalist Pavel Sheremet over his reporting for Russian television station ORT", "occurred_on": "1997-01-01", "occurred_on_precision": "year", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "BY", "country_name": "Belarus", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 165, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "alexander-lukashenko", "leader_name": "Alexander Lukashenko", "what_was_done": "In 1997, Belarusian authorities under President Alexander Lukashenko jailed journalist Pavel Sheremet for three months in connection with his reporting for the Russian television station ORT.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Belarusian authorities later stripped Sheremet of his Belarusian citizenship in 2010, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1997-by-sheremet-imprisoned-for-ort-reporting" }, { "slug": "2013-uk-miranda-detention-guardian-hard-drives", "title": "United Kingdom detains journalist's partner under terrorism law and oversees destruction of Guardian hard drives holding Snowden files", "occurred_on": "2013-08-18", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "GB", "country_name": "United Kingdom", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 18, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "david-cameron", "leader_name": "David Cameron", "what_was_done": "British authorities detained David Miranda, partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, for nine hours at Heathrow Airport under anti-terrorism powers, and separately had Guardian staff destroy hard drives holding files leaked by Edward Snowden rather than hand them to a court.", "outcome": "upheld", "outcome_on": "2016-01-19", "outcome_note": "The Court of Appeal ruled in January 2016 that Miranda's detention itself was lawful, but found Schedule 7's stop powers incompatible with press-freedom protections for journalistic material generally.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "surveillance_and_subpoenas", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "surveillance_and_subpoenas" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2013-uk-miranda-detention-guardian-hard-drives" }, { "slug": "2025-serbia-police-target-journalists-protests", "title": "Serbian police strike, detain and disarm journalists covering anti-government protests", "occurred_on": "2025-09-05", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "RS", "country_name": "Serbia", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 104, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "aleksandar-vucic", "leader_name": "Aleksandar Vucic", "what_was_done": "The Committee to Protect Journalists documented at least 28 Serbian journalists reporting being struck, detained, sprayed with chemical irritants or having their equipment destroyed by police between June and September 2025 while covering nationwide anti-government protests; the interior ministry d…", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The interior ministry did not respond to CPJ's request for comment, and no officer was reported disciplined for the incidents documented.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 1, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-serbia-police-target-journalists-protests" } ] }, { "stage": "silence", "name": "Silence", "definition": "Removing outlets or channels from the public sphere: closures, licence withdrawals, forced sales, blocking and shutdowns, prior restraint, nationalisation.", "rungs": [ { "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", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "PL", "country_name": "Poland", "continent": "europe", "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" }, "leader_slug": "wojciech-jaruzelski", "leader_name": "Wojciech Jaruzelski", "what_was_done": "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.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "1983-07-22", "outcome_note": "Martial law was formally lifted on July 22, 1983, though reduced press controls in Poland continued until the fall of Communist rule in 1989.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1981-poland-martial-law-press-suspended" }, { "slug": "2021-belarus-blocks-tutby-arrests-staff", "title": "Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'", "occurred_on": "2021-05-18", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "BY", "country_name": "Belarus", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 165, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "alexander-lukashenko", "leader_name": "Alexander Lukashenko", "what_was_done": "Belarusian authorities blocked access to Tut.by, the country's most-read independent news site, searched its offices in three cities and arrested at least eleven staff, including its editor-in-chief, citing alleged media-law violations after the site had already lost its official media status.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Tut.by remained blocked and its former staff continued reporting from exile as Zerkalo; the criminal proceedings against staff continued.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-belarus-blocks-tutby-arrests-staff" } ] }, { "stage": "eliminate", "name": "Eliminate", "definition": "Long imprisonment, killing, disappearance or forced exile of journalists, with state involvement as the sources state it.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "2006-russia-politkovskaya-killed", "title": "Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya is shot dead in Moscow; a former police officer is later convicted of organizing the killing", "occurred_on": "2006-10-07", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "eliminate", "focal_case": false, "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "what_was_done": "Anna Politkovskaya, a Novaya Gazeta journalist known for reporting critical of Russia's conduct of the war in Chechnya, was shot dead in her Moscow apartment building; a Moscow court later convicted a former police officer of organizing surveillance for her killers.", "outcome": "upheld", "outcome_on": "2014-06-09", "outcome_note": "Courts convicted and sentenced five men, including former police officer Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, for organizing or carrying out the killing; who ordered it was never conclusively established in court.", "ladder_note": "Who ordered the killing was never conclusively established in court.", "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2006-russia-politkovskaya-killed" }, { "slug": "2023-belarus-sentences-poczobut", "title": "Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut sentenced to eight years", "occurred_on": "2023-02-08", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "eliminate", "focal_case": false, "country": "BY", "country_name": "Belarus", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 165, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "alexander-lukashenko", "leader_name": "Alexander Lukashenko", "what_was_done": "Belarus sentenced Polish-Belarusian correspondent Andrzej Poczobut to eight years in prison on charges of inciting hatred and calling for sanctions, after holding him since March 2021.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2026-04-28", "outcome_note": "Poczobut was freed after 1,860 days as part of a multi-country prisoner exchange; CPJ reported 22 other journalists remained imprisoned in Belarus at the time.", "ladder_note": "Belarus sentenced a correspondent to eight years for reporting on its Polish minority and held him nearly five years before an exchange; comparable United States detentions in the record ended in hours, not years.", "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-belarus-sentences-poczobut" }, { "slug": "2024-russia-sentences-gershkovich", "title": "Russia: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years", "occurred_on": "2023-03-29", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "eliminate", "focal_case": false, "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 172, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "what_was_done": "Russia arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in March 2023 on an espionage charge his employer called fabricated, held him for about 15 months before a closed trial, and sentenced him to 16 years before releasing him in a prisoner exchange.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2024-08-01", "outcome_note": "Gershkovich was freed in a prisoner exchange alongside RFE/RL editor Alsu Kurmasheva after 16 months in detention.", "ladder_note": "Russia held a Wall Street Journal reporter for over a year on an espionage charge his employer called fabricated, then sentenced him to sixteen years; United States detentions of journalists in the record have not led to years-long imprisonment on state charges.", "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-russia-sentences-gershkovich" } ] } ], "downloads": { "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/detention_and_violence?continent=europe&format=csv", "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/detention_and_violence.json?continent=europe", "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/detention_and_violence.md?continent=europe" }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" } }