Ladder
Ladder: lawsuits against the press, in Asia
A government, a government agency or an official sues a journalist or a news organisation, usually for defamation or breach of contract, whether the official acts in office or in a personal capacity. Lawsuits that fail can still cost the defendant years of work and large legal fees.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
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2Pressure
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.
An investigation found paid services in Kazakhstan filing fabricated copyright complaints, impersonating global brands, to get social media platforms to remove journalists' accounts and posts, alongside criminal prosecutions of the press.
Note: An investigation found paid services filing fabricated copyright complaints to remove Kazakh journalists' accounts, bypassing courts entirely; United States lawsuits against the press in the record proceed openly through the court system.
Ongoing 20 August 2026 · 2 sources · Full entry
3Punish
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.
The United States colonial government in the Philippines enacted a criminal libel law in 1901 that Governor-General William Howard Taft defended by saying Filipinos were unused to the freedom of the press.
Upheld by a court 1 January 1914 · 2 sources · Full entry
A Manila court convicted Rappler's Maria Ressa and researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. of criminal cyber libel and sentenced them to up to six years in prison, over a 2012 story republished after the cybercrime law used to charge them took effect.
Note: A court convicted an outlet's executive editor of criminal cyber libel and imposed a prison sentence over a story published before the cybercrime law existed; United States lawsuits against the press in the record are civil, seeking damages, not prison time.
Ongoing 15 June 2020 · 3 sources · Full entry
Turkish authorities tried journalist Sedef Kabas repeatedly for insulting President Erdogan over her on-air comments and tweets questioning his college diploma and alleging corruption, an offense carrying up to four years in prison.
Note: A journalist faced a second prosecution carrying up to four years in prison for tweets questioning the president's diploma, after an earlier conviction on the same charge; United States lawsuits against the press seek damages, not prison time.
Ongoing 22 June 2023 · 2 sources · Full entry
All ladders · Lawsuits against the press: by country and year · The United States chapter