{ "title": "Ladder: insult and defamation laws", "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/insult_and_defamation_laws", "filters": {}, "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.", "tactic": { "slug": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "name": "Insult and defamation laws", "definition": "Laws that make it a crime, not only a civil wrong, to damage a person's reputation, to insult a head of state or a monarch (known as lèse-majesté), or to publish information that a government declares false, including laws against \"fake news\". Convictions can bring fines or prison.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/insult_and_defamation_laws" }, "focal_case": "US", "count": 10, "stages": [ { "stage": "pressure", "name": "Pressure", "definition": "Using state power short of prosecution to change coverage: regulatory threats, licence reviews, funding cuts, lawsuits by officials, official \"fake news\" or \"foreign agent\" labels, advertising pressure, tax audits.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "2013-ecuador-communications-law-supercom", "title": "Ecuador's Organic Communication Law creates a regulator that issues hundreds of sanctions against journalists and outlets", "occurred_on": "2013-06-25", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "pressure", "focal_case": false, "country": "EC", "country_name": "Ecuador", "continent": "south-america", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 125, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 125th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "rafael-correa", "leader_name": "Rafael Correa", "what_was_done": "Ecuador's National Assembly passed the Organic Communication Law under President Rafael Correa, creating the Superintendency of Information and Communication (SUPERCOM), a regulator that issued more than 675 sanctions against journalists and media outlets over the following four years.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2019-02-20", "outcome_note": "President Lenin Moreno's government moved to eliminate SUPERCOM in 2018, and the reform of the Communication Law was published in the Official Register on February 20, 2019; Fundamedios director Cesar Ricaurte said the surrounding legal framework nonetheless remained \"intact.\"", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "tactics": [ "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2013-ecuador-communications-law-supercom" } ] }, { "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": "1998-serbia-public-information-act-fines", "title": "Serbia's Public Information Act lets courts fine independent newspapers into financial danger", "occurred_on": "1998-10-20", "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": "slobodan-milosevic", "leader_name": "Slobodan Milosevic", "what_was_done": "Serbia's parliament passed a Public Information Act allowing courts to levy same-day fines against newspapers for vaguely defined offenses against the state's interests, and independent papers were fined far more often and more heavily than pro-government ones.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2001-01-01", "outcome_note": "The law was suspended after Milosevic lost power in October 2000 elections and a change of government in Serbia.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 1, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1998-serbia-public-information-act-fines" }, { "slug": "2020-hungary-coronavirus-fake-news-law", "title": "Hungary criminalizes false coronavirus information and grants Orban decree powers", "occurred_on": "2020-03-30", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "HU", "country_name": "Hungary", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 74, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "viktor-orban", "leader_name": "Viktor Orban", "what_was_done": "Hungary's parliament passed an emergency coronavirus law allowing prison terms of up to five years for spreading information the government deemed false or distorted about the pandemic, and let Prime Minister Viktor Orban rule by decree for an unlimited period.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Hungary's government said it would end Orban's decree powers by June 20, 2020; the false-information provision's later fate was not established.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-hungary-coronavirus-fake-news-law" }, { "slug": "2022-russia-criminalizes-fake-war-reports", "title": "Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prison", "occurred_on": "2022-03-04", "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": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "what_was_done": "Russia's parliament passed a law criminalizing the publication of information about the military that contradicts official statements, with penalties up to 15 years in prison, prompting Novaya Gazeta to pull its Ukraine war coverage and the BBC, CNN and other outlets to suspend operations inside Ru…", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The law remained in force; independent outlets that avoided closure continued operating from outside Russia.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "insult_and_defamation_laws", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-criminalizes-fake-war-reports" }, { "slug": "2023-zimbabwe-patriotic-act-criminalizes-foreign-contact", "title": "Zimbabwe's Patriotic Act criminalizes journalists' contact with foreign governments", "occurred_on": "2023-07-14", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "ZW", "country_name": "Zimbabwe", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 124, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "emmerson-mnangagwa", "leader_name": "Emmerson Mnangagwa", "what_was_done": "President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Patriotic Act, which criminalizes meeting foreign governments or officials with intent to harm Zimbabwe's sovereignty, with penalties up to death for advocating armed intervention and up to ten years for supporting sanctions, weeks before the country's 2023 g…", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": "2023-07-14", "outcome_note": "President Mnangagwa signed the bill into law despite CPJ's call for a veto; a court challenge by journalists did not block it.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "secrets_and_espionage_laws", "tactics": [ "insult_and_defamation_laws", "secrets_and_espionage_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-zimbabwe-patriotic-act-criminalizes-foreign-contact" }, { "slug": "2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law", "title": "Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' law", "occurred_on": "2023-11-01", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "TR", "country_name": "Türkiye", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 163, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan", "leader_name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan", "what_was_done": "Turkish authorities detained three journalists, jailing columnist Tolga Sardan pending trial, under a 2022 law criminalizing the spread of disinformation, after the government's own disinformation-fighting body disputed their reporting on a leaked intelligence document and a story about released pr…", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Two of the three journalists were released within a day; Tolga Sardan remained jailed pending trial.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law" }, { "slug": "2024-hong-kong-stand-news-editors-convicted-sedition", "title": "Hong Kong court convicts Stand News editors of sedition", "occurred_on": "2024-08-29", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "HK", "country_name": "Hong Kong", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 140, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "john-lee", "leader_name": "John Lee", "what_was_done": "A Hong Kong court convicted former Stand News editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam of conspiring to publish seditious material, under a colonial-era law, over articles the outlet had run before police raided its newsroom and it closed at the end of 2021.", "outcome": "upheld", "outcome_on": "2024-09-26", "outcome_note": "Both editors were sentenced in September 2024; no reversal of the convictions was reported.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-hong-kong-stand-news-editors-convicted-sedition" }, { "slug": "2025-tunisia-record-journalists-jailed-decree-54", "title": "Tunisia's cybercrime decree pushes jailed-journalist count to highest since 1992", "occurred_on": "2025-01-16", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "TN", "country_name": "Tunisia", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 137, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "kais-saied", "leader_name": "Kais Saied", "what_was_done": "The Committee to Protect Journalists found at least four journalists imprisoned under Tunisia's 2022 Decree-Law 54 on cybercrime as of January 2025, including radio hosts Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies, pushing the country's jailed-journalist count to its highest since 1992 under President Kais Sa…", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Decree-Law 54 remained in force and continued to produce new prosecutions, which CPJ said brought jailed-journalist numbers to a record.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-tunisia-record-journalists-jailed-decree-54" }, { "slug": "2026-india-journalist-sentenced-adani-defamation", "title": "India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026", "occurred_on": "2026-02-10", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "IN", "country_name": "India", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 157, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "narendra-modi", "leader_name": "Narendra Modi", "what_was_done": "On February 10, 2026, a court in India sentenced the investigative journalist Ravi Nair to one year in prison and a fine of 5,000 rupees (about US$55) for criminal defamation, an offence under which a statement that damages someone's reputation can lead to a fine or prison sentence.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": "2026-02-10", "outcome_note": "Sentenced on 2026-02-10; no appeal or ruling on appeal appears in the sources cited.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-india-journalist-sentenced-adani-defamation" } ] }, { "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": "1938-spain-franco-press-law", "title": "Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press Law", "occurred_on": "1938-04-01", "occurred_on_precision": "month", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "ES", "country_name": "Spain", "continent": "europe", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 29, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "francisco-franco", "leader_name": "Francisco Franco", "what_was_done": "While Spain's civil war continued, the Nationalist government led by Francisco Franco enacted a Press Law in April 1938 requiring government permission to found a newspaper, work as a journalist or direct a paper, alongside continued pre-publication press controls and years-long prison terms for va…", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "1977-04-01", "outcome_note": "Spain abolished prior press press controls by decree in April 1977, after Franco's 1975 death, ahead of the 1978 constitution that guaranteed freedom of the press.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 1, "tactic_primary": "credential_control", "tactics": [ "credential_control", "insult_and_defamation_laws", "prior_restraint" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1938-spain-franco-press-law" } ] } ], "downloads": { "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/insult_and_defamation_laws?format=csv", "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/insult_and_defamation_laws.json", "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/insult_and_defamation_laws.md" }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" } }