{ "title": "Search: detention and violence, from 2020, national level", "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/search?tactic=detention_and_violence&from=2020&level=national", "filters": { "tactic": "detention_and_violence", "from": "2020", "level": "national" }, "sort": "date", "count": 16, "page": 1, "pages": 1, "per_page": 50, "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.", "facets": { "country": [ { "value": "BD", "label": "Bangladesh", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 152, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "BY", "label": "Belarus", "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" } }, { "value": "CN", "label": "China", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 178, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "ET", "label": "Ethiopia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 148, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "GT", "label": "Guatemala", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 128, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "IN", "label": "India", "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" } }, { "value": "MM", "label": "Myanmar", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 166, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "RU", "label": "Russia", "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" } }, { "value": "RS", "label": "Serbia", "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" } }, { "value": "TN", "label": "Tunisia", "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" } }, { "value": "TR", "label": "Türkiye", "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" } }, { "value": "US", "label": "United States", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 64, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } }, { "value": "VE", "label": "Venezuela", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 159, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" } } ], "continent": [ { "value": "africa", "label": "Africa" }, { "value": "asia", "label": "Asia" }, { "value": "europe", "label": "Europe" }, { "value": "north-america", "label": "North America" }, { "value": "south-america", "label": "South America" } ], "tactic": [ { "value": "detention_and_violence", "label": "Detention and violence", "count": 16 }, { "value": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "label": "Insult and defamation laws", "count": 3 }, { "value": "outlet_licensing", "label": "Licensing and closure of outlets", "count": 2 }, { "value": "expulsion_and_visa_denial", "label": "Expulsion and visa denial", "count": 2 }, { "value": "surveillance_and_subpoenas", "label": "Surveillance and subpoenas", "count": 2 }, { "value": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "label": "Shutdowns and blocking", "count": 2 }, { "value": "access_ban", "label": "Access bans", "count": 1 } ], "stage": [ { "value": "punish", "label": "Punish", "count": 10 }, { "value": "silence", "label": "Silence", "count": 2 }, { "value": "eliminate", "label": "Eliminate", "count": 4 } ], "level": [ { "value": "national", "label": "National", "count": 16 } ], "outcome": [ { "value": "ongoing", "label": "Ongoing", "count": 6 }, { "value": "sustained", "label": "Sustained", "count": 4 }, { "value": "unknown", "label": "Unknown", "count": 3 }, { "value": "reversed", "label": "Reversed", "count": 3 } ], "leader": [ { "value": "abiy-ahmed", "label": "Abiy Ahmed" }, { "value": "alejandro-giammattei", "label": "Alejandro Giammattei" }, { "value": "aleksandar-vucic", "label": "Aleksandar Vucic" }, { "value": "alexander-lukashenko", "label": "Alexander Lukashenko" }, { "value": "donald-trump", "label": "Donald Trump" }, { "value": "joe-biden", "label": "Joe Biden" }, { "value": "kais-saied", "label": "Kais Saied" }, { "value": "min-aung-hlaing", "label": "Min Aung Hlaing" }, { "value": "muhammad-yunus", "label": "Muhammad Yunus" }, { "value": "narendra-modi", "label": "Narendra Modi" }, { "value": "nicolas-maduro", "label": "Nicolas Maduro" }, { "value": "recep-tayyip-erdogan", "label": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan" }, { "value": "vladimir-putin", "label": "Vladimir Putin" }, { "value": "xi-jinping", "label": "Xi Jinping" } ], "era": [ { "value": "2020s", "label": "2020s", "count": 16 } ], "year": [ { "value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 2 }, { "value": "2021", "label": "2021", "count": 3 }, { "value": "2023", "label": "2023", "count": 4 }, { "value": "2024", "label": "2024", "count": 1 }, { "value": "2025", "label": "2025", "count": 5 }, { "value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 1 } ], "has_case": [ { "value": "0", "label": "without a court case", "count": 16 } ] }, "results": [ { "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", "country": "IN", "country_name": "India", "continent": "asia", "jurisdiction": "IN", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "leader_slug": "narendra-modi", "leader_name": "Narendra Modi", "issue_of_the_day": null, "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.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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. The case concerned posts on the platform X between October 2020 and July 2021 and articles on Adani Watch, an Australian non-profit investigative site, that criticized the Adani Group, an Indian conglomerate. CIVICUS Monitor, which tracks civic freedoms by country, recorded the sentence among arrests, detentions and police summonses of Indian journalists in the same period.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-india-journalist-sentenced-adani-defamation" }, { "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", "country": "RS", "country_name": "Serbia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RS", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "aleksandar-vucic", "leader_name": "Aleksandar Vucic", "issue_of_the_day": "The protests, which grew through the summer of 2025, followed months of demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic's government that began after a deadly railway-station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in late 2024.", "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.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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 did not respond to CPJ's request for comment.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-serbia-police-target-journalists-protests" }, { "slug": "2025-ethiopia-arrests-journalists-sheger-fm", "title": "Ethiopia arrests at least six journalists including Sheger FM staff over election-year coverage", "occurred_on": "2025-09-03", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "ET", "country_name": "Ethiopia", "continent": "africa", "jurisdiction": "ET", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "outlet_licensing" ], "leader_slug": "abiy-ahmed", "leader_name": "Abiy Ahmed", "issue_of_the_day": "The arrests came ahead of Ethiopia's national elections scheduled for 2026, after the Ethiopian Media Authority ordered Sheger FM to remove an August 29, 2025 broadcast it said was one-sided and incited violence.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "2025-09-22", "outcome_note": "Some journalists were granted bail while an appeal proceeded; the media authority's order against Sheger FM remained in force.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 148, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Ethiopian authorities arrested at least six journalists between August and September 2025, including three from Sheger FM after the Ethiopian Media Authority ordered the station to delete a broadcast it accused of bias and inciting violence, ahead of national elections scheduled for 2026.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-ethiopia-arrests-journalists-sheger-fm" }, { "slug": "2025-turkiye-detains-and-deports-journalists-covering-protests", "title": "Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025", "occurred_on": "2025-03-19", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "TR", "country_name": "Türkiye", "continent": "asia", "jurisdiction": "TR", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "expulsion_and_visa_denial" ], "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan", "leader_name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan", "issue_of_the_day": "The detention of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19, 2025, and the protests that followed.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": "2025-04-02", "outcome_note": "CPJ's report of 2025-04-02 describes the restrictions as continuing; the outcomes for individual journalists are not recorded.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "After the detention of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19, 2025, protests spread in Türkiye, and between March 19 and March 28, 2025, the authorities detained at least 13 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organization in New York. From March 21 to 23, 2025, at least 14 journalists were injured after being beaten or shot with rubber bullets by Istanbul police, and on March 27 police detained the BBC correspondent Mark Lowen and deported him. CPJ said on April 2, 2025 that the authorities \"have since arrested thousands of protesters and have moved aggressively to tamp down media coverage.\"", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-turkiye-detains-and-deports-journalists-covering-protests" }, { "slug": "2025-bangladesh-journalists-attacked-interim-government", "title": "Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber laws", "occurred_on": "2025-02-03", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "BD", "country_name": "Bangladesh", "continent": "asia", "jurisdiction": "BD", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "surveillance_and_subpoenas" ], "leader_slug": "muhammad-yunus", "leader_name": "Muhammad Yunus", "issue_of_the_day": "The incidents occurred six months into the interim government that took power after Sheikh Hasina's government fell in August 2024, a period in which press-freedom groups said journalists faced both continued street violence and new draft cyber-security legislation.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "No arrests were reported in the incidents described, and the proposed cyber ordinances remained under review.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 152, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "On a single day in February 2025, groups of men beat at least eight journalists in two separate incidents in rural Bangladesh while they investigated a medical-negligence tip and a land dispute; the incidents came as the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus drafted new cyber ordinances rights groups said could add legal risk on top of the physical one.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-bangladesh-journalists-attacked-interim-government" }, { "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", "country": "TN", "country_name": "Tunisia", "continent": "africa", "jurisdiction": "TN", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "leader_slug": "kais-saied", "leader_name": "Kais Saied", "issue_of_the_day": "Decree-Law 54, issued by President Kais Saied in 2022 without a sitting parliament, criminalized spreading what authorities deem \"false news\" online, and by January 2025 had become the basis for jailing a record number of Tunisian journalists.", "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.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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 Saied.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-tunisia-record-journalists-jailed-decree-54" }, { "slug": "2024-venezuela-post-election-press-crackdown", "title": "Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 election", "occurred_on": "2024-07-28", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "VE", "country_name": "Venezuela", "continent": "south-america", "jurisdiction": "VE", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "expulsion_and_visa_denial", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "leader_slug": "nicolas-maduro", "leader_name": "Nicolas Maduro", "issue_of_the_day": "Venezuela's July 28, 2024 election, in which the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed vote tallies opposition figures disputed, triggered protests and a surge of restrictions on the journalists covering them.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Detained journalists faced continuing prosecution, and social-platform restrictions remained in place after the documented period.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 159, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "In the two weeks after Venezuela's disputed July 28, 2024 presidential election, Reporters Without Borders documented 70 press-freedom violations, including nine detentions, nine expulsions of foreign correspondents and the suspension of the social media platform X, as President Nicolas Maduro's government moved to control coverage of the disputed result.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-venezuela-post-election-press-crackdown" }, { "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", "country": "TR", "country_name": "Türkiye", "continent": "asia", "jurisdiction": "TR", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "insult_and_defamation_laws" ], "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan", "leader_name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan", "issue_of_the_day": "Sardan had written about an alleged Turkish intelligence report on judicial corruption, which the government's Center for Combating Disinformation denied existed; Halk TV's Dincer Gokce had reported on people released from prison who were later linked to further crimes.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Two of the three journalists were released within a day; Tolga Sardan remained jailed pending trial.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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 prisoners.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law" }, { "slug": "2023-guatemala-convicts-zamora-money-laundering", "title": "Guatemala convicts investigative journalist Jose Ruben Zamora on money-laundering charge", "occurred_on": "2023-06-14", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "GT", "country_name": "Guatemala", "continent": "north-america", "jurisdiction": "GT", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "alejandro-giammattei", "leader_name": "Alejandro Giammattei", "issue_of_the_day": "El Periodico had published more than 120 investigations into government corruption since January 2020 before its forced closure in May 2023, shortly before Zamora's conviction.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Zamora's case continued through appeals and changing custody arrangements; he remained in the criminal justice system.", "stage": "eliminate", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 128, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "A Guatemalan court convicted El Periodico founder Jose Ruben Zamora of money laundering and sentenced him to six years in prison, months after his newspaper, known for investigating government corruption, was forced to close; press-freedom groups said the case was connected to his investigative reporting rather than the financial charge alone.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-guatemala-convicts-zamora-money-laundering" }, { "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", "country": "RU", "country_name": "Russia", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "RU", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin", "leader_name": "Vladimir Putin", "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.", "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.", "stage": "eliminate", "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.", "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "reversed", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-russia-sentences-gershkovich" }, { "slug": "2023-belarus-sentences-poczobut", "title": "Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut sentenced to eight years", "occurred_on": "2023-02-08", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "BY", "country_name": "Belarus", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "BY", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "alexander-lukashenko", "leader_name": "Alexander Lukashenko", "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.", "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.", "stage": "eliminate", "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.", "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "reversed", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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. He was freed five years later in a multi-country prisoner exchange.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-belarus-sentences-poczobut" }, { "slug": "2021-fbi-raids-project-veritas-founder-okeefe", "title": "FBI raids Project Veritas founder's home over Ashley Biden diary investigation", "occurred_on": "2021-11-06", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "US", "country_name": "United States", "continent": "north-america", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "surveillance_and_subpoenas", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "surveillance_and_subpoenas" ], "leader_slug": "joe-biden", "leader_name": "Joe Biden", "issue_of_the_day": "Project Veritas had obtained and reported on a diary purportedly belonging to Ashley Biden during the 2020 campaign; federal prosecutors were investigating how the diary had been obtained and transported across state lines.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "No charges were ever filed against O'Keefe; a court later allowed prosecutors to review the seized phones.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 64, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "FBI agents raided Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe's New York home and seized his phones as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of a diary belonging to Ashley Biden, President Biden's daughter, which the group had reported on; O'Keefe was never charged.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-fbi-raids-project-veritas-founder-okeefe" }, { "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", "country": "BY", "country_name": "Belarus", "continent": "europe", "jurisdiction": "BY", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "leader_slug": "alexander-lukashenko", "leader_name": "Alexander Lukashenko", "issue_of_the_day": "Tut.by had continued reporting on the government's response to protests following the disputed August 2020 presidential election that kept Alexander Lukashenko in power; authorities revoked the outlet's official media registration in January 2021.", "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.", "stage": "silence", "ladder_note": null, "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" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "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.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-belarus-blocks-tutby-arrests-staff" }, { "slug": "2021-myanmar-junta-revokes-media-licenses", "title": "Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coup", "occurred_on": "2021-03-08", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "MM", "country_name": "Myanmar", "continent": "asia", "jurisdiction": "MM", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "outlet_licensing", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "outlet_licensing" ], "leader_slug": "min-aung-hlaing", "leader_name": "Min Aung Hlaing", "issue_of_the_day": "The outlets had been covering nationwide protests against the military's February 1, 2021 seizure of power from Myanmar's elected government, coverage the junta sought to stop by removing the outlets' legal authorization to operate.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The five outlets' licenses were not restored; CPJ counted at least 32 journalists still imprisoned as of July 2021.", "stage": "silence", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 166, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "Weeks after seizing power, Myanmar's military junta revoked the operating licenses of five independent media outlets covering protests against the coup and raided two of their newsrooms, seizing computers and files; journalists from the outlets were later arrested and charged under a broadened penal-code provision on spreading 'false news.'", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-myanmar-junta-revokes-media-licenses" }, { "slug": "2020-federal-officers-target-journalists-portland-injunction", "title": "Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stop", "occurred_on": "2020-07-23", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "US", "country_name": "United States", "continent": "north-america", "jurisdiction": "US-OR", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "access_ban", "tactics": [ "access_ban", "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "donald-trump", "leader_name": "Donald Trump", "issue_of_the_day": "The federal government sent Department of Homeland Security officers to Portland in July 2020 to protect a federal courthouse during nightly protests that followed George Floyd's killing; officers' use of force against bystanders, including identified journalists, prompted the lawsuit.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2020-07-23", "outcome_note": "On July 23, 2020, the court ordered federal agents to stop dispersing, arresting or using force against identified journalists and legal observers; the order was later extended.", "stage": "punish", "ladder_note": null, "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 64, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "reversed", "case_count": 0, "summary": "After federal officers deployed to Portland used tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets on journalists and legal observers covering protests, the American Civil Liberties Union sued, and a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring officers from dispersing, arresting or using force against clearly identified press.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-federal-officers-target-journalists-portland-injunction" }, { "slug": "2020-china-arrests-zhang-zhan", "title": "China: citizen journalist Zhang Zhan imprisoned for Wuhan reporting", "occurred_on": "2020-05-14", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "country": "CN", "country_name": "China", "continent": "asia", "jurisdiction": "CN", "level": "national", "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence" ], "leader_slug": "xi-jinping", "leader_name": "Xi Jinping", "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "Zhang completed her original four-year sentence and was released in 2024, but the sources reviewed report a second case against her the following year.", "stage": "eliminate", "ladder_note": "China imprisoned a citizen journalist for four years over her Wuhan reporting, then opened a second case against her after release; United States detention incidents in the record ended in release the same day.", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 178, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "era": "2020s", "granularity": "granular", "status": "in_effect", "case_count": 0, "summary": "China detained citizen journalist Zhang Zhan for posting independent video reports from Wuhan during the early COVID-19 outbreak, later convicting her of \"picking quarrels and provoking trouble\" and, after her release, detaining her again years later.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-china-arrests-zhang-zhan" } ], "other_results": [], "downloads": { "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/search?tactic=detention_and_violence&from=2020&level=national&format=csv", "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/search.json?tactic=detention_and_violence&from=2020&level=national", "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/search.md?tactic=detention_and_violence&from=2020&level=national" }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" } }