The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, 1900 to today

Search in Europe, from 2020, outcome sustained

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

All filters: country, dates, head of government, sort
CountryBelarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180Poland, RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Slovakia, RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180
ContinentEurope
TacticFunding and ownership pressure 4Official labels 3Shutdowns and blocking 3Licensing and closure of outlets 2Insult and defamation laws 2Access bans 2Expulsion and visa denial 1Detention and violence 1
StagePressure 5Punish 4Silence 4Eliminate 1
OutcomeSustained 14
LevelNational 14
Head of governmentAlexander LukashenkoMateusz MorawieckiRobert FicoViktor OrbanVladimir Putin

14 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
4 August 2026Russia: law on asset freezes and service denials for exiled "foreign agents", August 2026Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Official labelsVladimir PutinSustained (4 August 2026)
20 June 2024Slovakia's parliament dissolves public broadcaster RTVS, replaces it with STVRSlovakia (RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsRobert FicoSustained (1 July 2024)
15 February 2023Russia: journalist Maria Ponomarenko is sentenced to six years for reporting on a Mariupol strikeRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsVladimir PutinSustained (15 February 2023)
5 September 2022Russia: a Moscow court suspends Novaya Gazeta's print licenseRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsVladimir PutinSustained (5 September 2022)
16 June 2022Russia: entry bans, visa restrictions and bureau closures for foreign correspondentsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Access bansVladimir PutinSustained (16 June 2022)
18 May 2022Russia: CBC/Radio-Canada bureau closed and journalists' visas cancelledRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Expulsion and visa denialVladimir PutinSustained (18 May 2022)
9 March 2022Belarus: Deutsche Welle and other outlets labeled 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Official labelsAlexander LukashenkoSustained (9 March 2022)
4 March 2022Russia: regulator blocks BBC Russian, Deutsche Welle and other outletsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Shutdowns and blockingVladimir PutinSustained (4 March 2022)
4 March 2022Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prisonRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsVladimir PutinSustained
18 May 2021Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAlexander LukashenkoSustained
23 April 2021Russia: independent outlet Meduza designated a 'foreign agent'Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Official labelsVladimir PutinSustained (23 April 2021)
April 2021Poland: state oil company Orlen buys the Polska Press newspaper groupPoland (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureMateusz MorawieckiSustained (1 April 2021)
29 August 2020Belarus: accreditation withdrawn from 17 journalists working for foreign outletsBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Access bansAlexander LukashenkoSustained (29 August 2020)
24 July 2020Hungary: editor fired and staff resign at Index.huHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureViktor OrbanSustained (24 July 2020)
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