The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Search: detention and violence, national level

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

29 incidents match this view.

Country: Argentina, RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180 Bangladesh, RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180 Belarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180 Chile, RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180 Egypt, RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180 Ethiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180 Guatemala, RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180 Haiti, RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180 India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180 Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180 Nigeria, RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180 Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180 Poland, RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180 Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180 Saudi Arabia, RSF 2026 rank: 176th of 180 Serbia, RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180 South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180 South Korea, RSF 2026 rank: 47th of 180 Tunisia, RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180 Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180 United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180 United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180 Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180

Continent: Africa Asia Europe North America South America

Tactic: Detention and violence (29) Shutdowns and blocking (5) Licensing and closure of outlets (4) Secrets and espionage laws (4) Prior restraint (4) Insult and defamation laws (3) Expulsion and visa denial (3) Surveillance and subpoenas (3) Access bans (2)

Stage: Restrict (1) Punish (13) Silence (8) Eliminate (7)

Outcome: Reversed (11) Ongoing (6) Sustained (6) Unknown (4) Upheld by a court (2)

Level: National (29)

Head of government: Abiy Ahmed Adly Mansour Alejandro Giammattei Aleksandar Vucic Alexander Lukashenko Augusto Pinochet Aung San Suu Kyi Barack Obama Chun Doo-hwan Daniel François Malan David Cameron Donald Trump Ferdinand Marcos George H. W. Bush Jean-Claude Duvalier Joe Biden Jorge Rafael Videla Kais Saied Min Aung Hlaing Muhammad Yunus Narendra Modi Nicolas Maduro Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Sani Abacha Saw Maung Vladimir Putin Wojciech Jaruzelski

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
February 10, 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 (February 10, 2026)
September 5, 2025Serbian police strike, detain and disarm journalists covering anti-government protestsSerbia (RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180)Detention and violenceAleksandar VucicOngoing
September 3, 2025Ethiopia arrests at least six journalists including Sheger FM staff over election-year coverageEthiopia (RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180)Detention and violenceAbiy AhmedOngoing (September 22, 2025)
March 19, 2025Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025Türkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Detention and violenceRecep Tayyip ErdoğanUnknown (April 2, 2025)
February 3, 2025Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber lawsBangladesh (RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180)Detention and violenceMuhammad YunusOngoing
January 16, 2025Tunisia's cybercrime decree pushes jailed-journalist count to highest since 1992Tunisia (RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsKais SaiedSustained
July 28, 2024Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 electionVenezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)Detention and violenceNicolas MaduroSustained
November 1, 2023Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' lawTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing
June 14, 2023Guatemala convicts investigative journalist Jose Ruben Zamora on money-laundering chargeGuatemala (RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180)Detention and violenceAlejandro GiammatteiOngoing
November 6, 2021FBI raids Project Veritas founder's home over Ashley Biden diary investigationUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasJoe BidenUnknown
May 18, 2021Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAlexander LukashenkoSustained
March 8, 2021Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coupMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMin Aung HlaingSustained
July 23, 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpReversed (July 23, 2020)
October 2, 2018Saudi Arabia's government kills journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulateSaudi Arabia (RSF 2026 rank: 176th of 180)Detention and violenceSalman bin Abdulaziz Al SaudUnknown
September 3, 2018Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacreMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsAung San Suu KyiReversed (May 7, 2019)
December 29, 2013Egypt arrests and later convicts three Al Jazeera journalists on terrorism-related chargesEgypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180)Detention and violenceAdly MansourReversed (September 23, 2015)
August 18, 2013United Kingdom detains journalist's partner under terrorism law and oversees destruction of Guardian hard drives holding Snowden filesUnited Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDavid CameronUpheld by a court (January 19, 2016)
July 5, 2010United States charges Army analyst Chelsea Manning under the Espionage Act for leaking to WikiLeaksUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsBarack ObamaReversed (January 17, 2017)
October 7, 2006Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya is shot dead in Moscow; a former police officer is later convicted of organizing the killingRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Detention and violenceVladimir PutinUpheld by a court (June 9, 2014)
July 1995Nigeria's military government convicts journalists by special tribunal over coup-plot reportingNigeria (RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180)Detention and violenceSani AbachaReversed (June 15, 1998)
January 17, 1991United States military restricts reporters to escorted press pools during the Gulf WarUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge H. W. BushSustained (February 28, 1991)
September 18, 1988Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Prior restraintSaw MaungOngoing (January 1, 1989)
December 13, 1981Poland's martial law government shuts nearly all newspapers and interns journalists overnightPoland (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingWojciech JaruzelskiReversed (July 22, 1983)
1981Haiti's Duvalier government arrests and deports Radio Haiti-Inter staff, driving its director into exileHaiti (RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialJean-Claude DuvalierReversed (February 1, 1986)
July 31, 1980South Korea's martial-law government purges journalists who resisted press controlsSouth Korea (RSF 2026 rank: 47th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsChun Doo-hwanReversed (June 1, 1987)
March 24, 1976Argentina's military junta threatens journalists with prison for reporting on its opponentsArgentina (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180)Detention and violenceJorge Rafael VidelaReversed (December 10, 1983)
September 11, 1973Chile's military government shuts opposition radio stations and newspapers after the 1973 coupChile (RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAugusto PinochetSustained (March 1, 1990)
September 21, 1972Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial lawPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingFerdinand MarcosReversed (February 25, 1986)
March 17, 1950South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act lets the government ban publications and restrict individualsSouth Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180)Prior restraintDaniel François MalanReversed (February 2, 1990)
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