The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Search: detention and violence, stage: punish

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
CountryBangladesh, RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180Belarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Egypt, RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180Ethiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180Germany, RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Serbia, RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180Tunisia, RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth America
TacticDetention and violence 24Surveillance and subpoenas 4Secrets and espionage laws 4Insult and defamation laws 3Expulsion and visa denial 3Shutdowns and blocking 2Access bans 2Licensing and closure of outlets 1Prior restraint 1
StagePunish 24
OutcomeReversed 7Unknown 5Ongoing 4Sustained 4Upheld by a court 4
LevelNational 19Municipal 3State or province 2
Head of governmentAbiy AhmedAdly MansourAleksandar VucicAlexander LukashenkoAlfred E. SmithBarack ObamaDavid CameronDonald TrumpJacob FreyJoe BidenKais SaiedKaren BassKonrad AdenauerLaura KellyMikhail GorbachevMuhammad YunusNarendra ModiNicolas MaduroRecep Tayyip ErdoğanRodrigo DuterteTim WalzWoodrow Wilson

24 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)
5 September 2025Serbian police strike, detain and disarm journalists covering anti-government protestsSerbia (RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180)Detention and violenceAleksandar VucicOngoing
3 September 2025Ethiopia arrests at least six journalists including Sheger FM staff over election-year coverageEthiopia (RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180)Detention and violenceAbiy AhmedOngoing (22 September 2025)
9 June 2025Officer shoots Australian journalist with rubber bullet during Los Angeles immigration protestsUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceKaren BassUnknown
19 March 2025Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025Türkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Detention and violenceRecep Tayyip ErdoğanUnknown (2 April 2025)
3 February 2025Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber lawsBangladesh (RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180)Detention and violenceMuhammad YunusOngoing
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
28 July 2024Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 electionVenezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)Detention and violenceNicolas MaduroSustained
1 November 2023Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' lawTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing
11 August 2023Police raid Marion County Record newsroom and publisher's home in KansasUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasLaura KellyReversed (5 August 2024)
6 November 2021FBI raids Project Veritas founder's home over Ashley Biden diary investigationUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasJoe BidenUnknown
23 July 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpReversed (23 July 2020)
29 May 2020Minneapolis police projectile permanently blinds photojournalist Linda TiradoUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceJacob FreySustained (26 May 2022)
29 May 2020Minnesota State Patrol arrests CNN crew live on air in MinneapolisUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceTim WalzReversed (29 May 2020)
13 February 2019Philippines: Rappler's Maria Ressa arrested over cyber libel casePhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Detention and violenceRodrigo DuterteReversed (14 February 2019)
29 December 2013Egypt arrests and later convicts three Al Jazeera journalists on terrorism-related chargesEgypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180)Detention and violenceAdly MansourReversed (23 September 2015)
18 August 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 (19 January 2016)
5 July 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 (17 January 2017)
1997Belarus jails journalist Pavel Sheremet over his reporting for Russian television station ORTBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Detention and violenceAlexander LukashenkoSustained
30 August 1986Soviet Union: arrest and seven-week detention of American correspondent Nicholas Daniloff in Moscow, 1986Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Detention and violenceMikhail GorbachevReversed (29 September 1986)
26 October 1962West Germany: police raid Der Spiegel's offices and arrest its editors over a defense articleGermany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180)Detention and violenceKonrad AdenauerUnknown
8 June 1925United States: Supreme Court upholds Benjamin Gitlow's conviction under New York's Criminal Anarchy Law, 1925United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsAlfred E. SmithUpheld by a court (8 June 1925)
26 June 1918United States convicts newspaper editor Jacob Frohwerk under the Espionage Act, June 1918United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (10 March 1919)
1917United States convicts Mother Earth editor Emma Goldman of draft conspiracy and bars her magazine from the mailUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (14 January 1918)
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