The War On News

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

Search: insult and defamation laws, from 2020

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 180Hong Kong, RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Tunisia, RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180Zimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEurope
TacticInsult and defamation laws 10Detention and violence 3Secrets and espionage laws 1Shutdowns and blocking 1
StagePunish 8Eliminate 2
OutcomeSustained 4Unknown 2Ongoing 2Upheld by a court 1Reversed 1
LevelNational 10
Head of governmentAlexander LukashenkoEmmerson MnangagwaJohn LeeKais SaiedNarendra ModiRecep Tayyip ErdoğanViktor OrbanVladimir Putin

10 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
10 February 2026India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026India (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsNarendra ModiUnknown (10 February 2026)
16 January 2025Tunisia's cybercrime decree pushes jailed-journalist count to highest since 1992Tunisia (RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsKais SaiedSustained
29 August 2024Hong Kong court convicts Stand News editors of seditionHong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsJohn LeeUpheld by a court (26 September 2024)
1 November 2023Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' lawTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing
14 July 2023Zimbabwe's Patriotic Act criminalizes journalists' contact with foreign governmentsZimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsEmmerson MnangagwaSustained (14 July 2023)
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)
8 February 2023Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut is sentenced to eight years for inciting hatredBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsAlexander LukashenkoReversed (28 April 2026)
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
22 January 2022Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas is arrested for a proverb about President ErdoganTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing (22 June 2023)
30 March 2020Hungary criminalizes false coronavirus information and grants Orban decree powersHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsViktor OrbanUnknown
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