# Search: secrets and espionage laws

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

Filters: country, continent, tactic, stage, from, to, level, actor, leader, outlet, outcome, source_kind, has_case, plus q, sort (date, date_asc, country, tactic, relevance), per_page (up to 100), page and view (table or cards), as query parameters.

17 incidents match this view.

| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| December 15, 2025 | [China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-hong-kong-convicts-jimmy-lai-under-national-security-law) | [Hong Kong](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/hk) ([RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [John Lee](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/john-lee) | Sustained (February 8, 2026) |
| July 14, 2023 | [Zimbabwe's Patriotic Act criminalizes journalists' contact with foreign governments](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-zimbabwe-patriotic-act-criminalizes-foreign-contact) | [Zimbabwe](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/zw) ([RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Emmerson Mnangagwa](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/emmerson-mnangagwa) | Sustained (July 14, 2023) |
| June 5, 2019 | [Australian Federal Police raid the national broadcaster over reporting on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-australia-afp-raids-abc-afghan-files) | [Australia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/au) ([RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [Scott Morrison](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/scott-morrison) | Reversed (October 15, 2020) |
| May 23, 2019 | [United States indicts WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-us-assange-espionage-act-indictment) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Reversed (June 25, 2024) |
| September 3, 2018 | [Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacre](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-myanmar-reuters-journalists-official-secrets-act) | [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) ([RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/aung-san-suu-kyi) | Reversed (May 7, 2019) |
| October 17, 2014 | [United States pursues New York Times reporter James Risen's testimony for years before dropping its demand for his source](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2014-us-james-risen-subpoena-jeffrey-sterling) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [Barack Obama](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/barack-obama) | Reversed (October 17, 2014) |
| December 29, 2013 | [Egypt arrests and later convicts three Al Jazeera journalists on terrorism-related charges](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2013-egypt-al-jazeera-journalists-jailed) | [Egypt](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/eg) ([RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Adly Mansour](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/adly-mansour) | Reversed (September 23, 2015) |
| October 10, 2013 | [United States: Espionage Act prosecutions of sources for leaks to the press, 2009 to 2013](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2013-obama-doj-charges-eight-under-espionage-act) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Barack Obama](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/barack-obama) | Unknown |
| May 20, 2013 | [United States search warrant names Fox News reporter James Rosen a possible co-conspirator in a leak case](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2013-us-doj-names-fox-reporter-co-conspirator) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [Barack Obama](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/barack-obama) | Sustained (July 12, 2013) |
| January 25, 2013 | [United States prosecutes former CIA officer John Kiriakou under the Espionage Act for identifying a covert colleague to a journalist](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2012-us-john-kiriakou-espionage-act-cia-torture-source) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Barack Obama](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/barack-obama) | Upheld by a court (February 3, 2015) |
| July 5, 2010 | [United States charges Army analyst Chelsea Manning under the Espionage Act for leaking to WikiLeaks](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2010-us-chelsea-manning-espionage-act-wikileaks) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Barack Obama](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/barack-obama) | Reversed (January 17, 2017) |
| July 6, 2005 | [New York Times reporter Judith Miller jailed for refusing to name a confidential source in the Valerie Plame affair](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2005-us-judith-miller-jailed-plame-source) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [George W. Bush](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/george-w-bush) | Upheld by a court (September 29, 2005) |
| July 1995 | [Nigeria's military government convicts journalists by special tribunal over coup-plot reporting](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1995-nigeria-abacha-journalists-tribunal) | [Nigeria](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ng) ([RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Sani Abacha](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/sani-abacha) | Reversed (June 15, 1998) |
| June 15, 1971 | [United States government seeks an injunction to stop The New York Times publishing the Pentagon Papers](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1971-us-pentagon-papers-injunction) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Richard Nixon](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/richard-nixon) | Reversed (June 30, 1971) |
| December 19, 1941 | [United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the press](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1941-us-office-of-censorship-wartime-press-code) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/franklin-d-roosevelt) | Sustained (September 28, 1945) |
| July 1917 | [United States postmaster bars the magazine The Masses from the mail under the Espionage Act](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1917-us-espionage-act-bars-the-masses-from-the-mail) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Woodrow Wilson](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/woodrow-wilson) | Upheld by a court (November 1, 1917) |
| 1917 | [United States Postmaster General Burleson strips the Milwaukee Leader of its mailing rate](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1917-us-burleson-mail-ban-milwaukee-leader) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Woodrow Wilson](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/woodrow-wilson) | Upheld by a court (March 7, 1921) |

Download this view. CSV, JSON or Markdown. CC BY 4.0; credit "The War On News, thewaronnews.com".
- CSV: https://thewaronnews.com/search?tactic=secrets_and_espionage_laws&format=csv
- JSON: https://thewaronnews.com/search.json?tactic=secrets_and_espionage_laws
- Markdown: https://thewaronnews.com/search.md?tactic=secrets_and_espionage_laws

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/search?tactic=secrets_and_espionage_laws. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.
