Search: secrets and espionage laws, outcome sustained
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
4 incidents match this view.
Country: Hong Kong, RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180 United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180 Zimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180
Continent: Africa Asia North America
Tactic: Secrets and espionage laws (4) Detention and violence (1) Licensing and closure of outlets (1) Insult and defamation laws (1) Surveillance and subpoenas (1) Prior restraint (1)
Stage: Pressure (1) Punish (2) Eliminate (1)
Outcome: Sustained (4)
Level: National (3) State or province (1)
Head of government: Barack Obama Emmerson Mnangagwa Franklin D. Roosevelt John Lee
| 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 | Hong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180) | Detention and violence | John Lee | Sustained (February 8, 2026) |
| July 14, 2023 | Zimbabwe's Patriotic Act criminalizes journalists' contact with foreign governments | Zimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180) | Secrets and espionage laws | Emmerson Mnangagwa | Sustained (July 14, 2023) |
| May 20, 2013 | United States search warrant names Fox News reporter James Rosen a possible co-conspirator in a leak case | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Surveillance and subpoenas | Barack Obama | Sustained (July 12, 2013) |
| December 19, 1941 | United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the press | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Prior restraint | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Sustained (September 28, 1945) |